Sleight of Hand
by Red Hardy
Summary: Frank, Joe, Callie and Vanessa are off for a real vacation at Montage Ski Resort – no mysteries allowed! However, as usual for the Hardys, things don't quite go as planned. Full summary in chapter one.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This story takes place just a few weeks after _Love and Loyalty. _ It is part of my AU series but stands alone okay if you haven't read the previous stories.

FYI, I've just started a new job (a second job! :o), so my free time is quickly becoming extinct. This story IS completely written and I will update at least twice a week – I'm just not sure which two days it will be or if it will be the same two days every week. And if anyone has the winning lottery numbers, I'd be eternally grateful if you'd give me a hint! :p

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own them and given that I'm now working _two_ jobs just to make ends meet, that should tell you I don't own anything worth suing over!

**Full Summary:** Frank, Joe, Callie and Vanessa are off for a real vacation at Montage Ski Resort – no mysteries allowed! However, as usual for the Hardys, things don't quite go as planned. A mysterious woman, a group of terrorists, a misunderstanding between the brothers and a case of mistaken identity are just a few of the things that get in the way of their peaceful vacation. And in the midst of it all, Vanessa gets the results of her final HIV test…

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 1**

Twenty-four year old Vanessa Bender snuggled closer to her blonde, blue-eyed fiancé, Joe Hardy. Responding to his gentle nudge, she tilted her head up and readily gave in to his request for a kiss, sighing contentedly. Listening to the steady hum of the car over the past two hours had lulled her into a blissful state of relaxation. As Joe's lips moved down her neck, she giggled softly and completely lost herself in his undivided attention.

Frank Hardy kept one hand on the steering wheel and loosely clutched his wife's hand in the other. "Can you turn the music up a little?" he asked Callie, trying to ignore the sounds and movements coming from the backseat. It was growing increasingly difficult, and he hoped the music would help mute the distracting noises.

"Ah, to be young and in love." Callie leaned towards Frank, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders. She reached forward and turned a dial, accommodating Frank's request. At twenty-five years old, she and Frank were only one year older than his younger brother, though at times they seemed worlds apart.

"More like young and in heat," Frank muttered teasingly, his deep brown eyes darting to the rear view mirror involuntarily.

Callie rested her arm across the seat back and running her fingers through Frank's dark brown hair. "How much longer until we get there?"

Frank glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "At least another hour or so." An abrupt movement from the backseat caught his eye. A muffled squeal of delight from Vanessa followed by Joe's husky whisper proved to be too much. Frank rolled his eyes. "And it won't be soon enough. I _cannot_ listen to that all the way to Montage," he said, grinning at his wife.

The two couples were on their way to Montage Ski Resort, three hours northwest of their hometown of Bayport. The week long vacation had been a Christmas gift from Frank and Joe's parents, Laura and Fenton Hardy. Raising his voice, Frank hoped to gain the attention of the oblivious young couple in the backseat.

"Hello, you're not alone! Think you could at least wait until we get to the resort and you're in the privacy of your own room?"

"I'm bored," Joe replied as he lifted his head, eyes twinkling. "What else am I supposed to do to keep myself occupied?" He nuzzled Vanessa's neck one more time for emphasis.

"There are a whole bunch of games on the new laptop I gave Frank for Christmas. He hasn't even looked at them yet. Why don't you test them out?" Callie suggested.

Joe's eyes lit up as he released his hold on Vanessa. "Games?"

Frank shook his head at Callie. "You had to tell him."

Reaching across Vanessa, Joe picked up the black computer case lying on the floor behind the passenger seat. Like a child on Christmas morning, Joe enthusiastically opened it up and pulled out the laptop.

"Hey, take it easy, would ya?!" Frank fretted, watching his brother in the rearview mirror. "It's brand new!"

Joe made a face at him. "Jeez, Frank, it's not like I'm gonna break it!"

"Yeah, that's what you always used to say when we were kids – right before you broke my favorite toy!" Frank joked.

"Don't worry, I'll supervise him," Vanessa winked at Frank as she took the computer from Joe and carefully balanced it on her knees.

"You'd think I was five years old," Joe snorted.

With a pout, Joe crossed his arms over his chest, nevertheless watching as Vanessa booted up the computer and accessed the selection of games. As the screen came to life, Joe's eyes lit up and Frank was reminded of a little blonde five-year-old boy on Christmas morning.

Listening to Joe's exclamations of delight as he took on the computer's challenge in what would be the first of many games, Frank couldn't help but smile. Checking the mirror once more, he saw Vanessa looking back at him with the same smile. She glanced at Joe and then back at Frank. They exchanged a look that needed no interpretation… _'He'll always be a kid – and we wouldn't want him any other way!'_

A little over an hour later, Frank pulled into a spot in front of Montage Ski Resort's main lodge. Frank, Callie, Joe and Vanessa got out of the car and took a moment to stretch their cramped muscles and take in the dazzling scenery. Mountain peaks and breathtaking valleys surrounded them, with the bright January sunshine sparkling off a fresh layer of snow.

Frank checked his watch. "If we hurry up and get checked in, we'll still have a few hours of daylight to play in the snow."

"What are we waiting for?!" Joe reached out to shut the car door.

"Hold on there, Game Boy," Frank stopped him. "Don't leave my laptop in the car. Put it back in the case and bring it in with you."

"Why me? It's your computer!"

"And you were the one who was playing with it."

Joe was about to protest further, when a light smack on the arm from Vanessa stopped him. "Fine," Joe grumbled. "I'll carry it. Just like I always get stuck carrying everything," he continued hoping for some sympathy at least from his fiancée. He was met with a sarcastic chorus of _'Oh, you poor baby,'_ by his traveling companions, who then turned and started for the lodge, talking excitedly with each other. "That's what happens when you're the youngest; everybody takes advantage of you. They make you do all the grunt work…" Joe rambled on with no one listening but himself.

As soon as they entered the lobby, Callie and Vanessa took off to explore their new home for the week, talking and gesturing animatedly. Frank and Joe got in line and waited to check in. A large tour group had arrived just ahead of them, making for a rather large crowd of noisy people and quite a bit of jostling. Finally, the two brothers squeezed their way through to an empty spot at the registration desk.

Placing the laptop on the floor between them, Joe glanced around the lobby as Frank handled the details of checking in. Taking in all the signs and posters advertising the various activities the resort offered, Joe was caught off guard when someone stumbled and fell heavily against him.

Instinctively reaching out, he caught a tall, slim brunette in his arms. She dropped the small black case she was carrying at Joe's feet and grabbed him around the neck in an effort to stop her forward momentum. Joe held her tightly around the waist, until she was able to regain her balance and get back on solid footing.

Hearing the commotion, Frank turned to see Joe with his arms wrapped around the waist of a stunning young woman with dark, silky hair. She was clutching Joe around the neck and both of them seemed to be enjoying their predicament.

'_Better not let Vanessa see you like that, bro!'_ Frank thought as the two smiled at each other. He shook his head, chuckling, and turned his attention back to the clerk.

"Oh! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" the young woman blurted out, making no move to remove her arms from around Joe's neck. Although she was blushing with embarrassment, she seemed reluctant to let him go.

"No harm done," Joe smiled. "Are you all right?" He waited until she was steady on her feet before releasing her.

"I'm fine." Staring at Joe coyly, she very slowly removed her arms from around him. "Thanks to you…"

"My pleasure," Joe winked.

"Just checking in?" she asked, as she smoothed her jacket.

"Mm-hmm. We just got here," Joe replied, enjoying the distraction of a pretty woman. _'Man, those eyes are incredible!'_

"How long are you staying?" She glanced at Frank who seemed to be wrapping things up at the counter.

"We'll be here all week."

"Good, maybe I'll see you again." Reaching down, she grabbed the case at Joe's feet and slung it over her shoulder. "Then I can thank you properly for saving me from making a fool of myself." She winked at him and then disappeared into the crowd.

"Making a new friend?" Frank asked sarcastically, coming up behind Joe.

"Hey, _she_ fell into _me_!" Joe protested the implication in Frank's words. "I was just standing here minding my own business waiting for you!"

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't tell Vanessa about your new friend if I were you," Frank said over his shoulder, already moving through the crowd of people. "Don't forget my laptop!" he called out as he disappeared from Joe's view.

_"Don't forget my laptop,"_ Joe mimicked, as he hefted the computer case over his shoulder. "Good thing you brought me along to be the pack mule," Joe called out following his brother's path, "otherwise you'd have to carry your own stuff!"

As he made his way through the throngs of people, trying to catch up to Frank, the dark haired woman with the smoldering eyes who had fallen into Joe watched him intently…and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Big, huge thanks to everyone who reviewed! You made my day(s)! :-)

Lexifisher – I'm going to keep your advice in mind. When working two jobs starts to wear me down, I'll just think of naked Joe. I'm sure that image will perk me right up! :D

Thank you to all who are reading and those who have added this story to their favorites/alerts.

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 2**

Frank pulled up in front of a large "cabin" one mile from the resort's main lodge. The clerk had told him it was their most luxurious accommodation and Frank could easily see why. The huge rustic looking structure had a porch that ran the length of it and wrapped around both sides. He could see a hot tub built into the deck on one side. Scores of windows allowed for an unobstructed view of the imposing mountains from just about anywhere in the cabin.

Handing Callie one of the keys and Vanessa the other, he told them to go inside while he and Joe unloaded their luggage. Hearing shouts of happiness, they exchanged a smile as the girls discovered everything their home-away-from-home had to offer. Finally making their way inside, the brothers stepped into a large living room where a huge fireplace took up almost one entire wall. The furnishings and added touches made the room seem cozy despite its size. To the right was the dining room, with a generous sized kitchen on the other side of it. To the left was a set of stairs leading to the second floor.

Dropping the suitcases just inside the door and throwing his jacket on the closest chair, Joe made a beeline for the doorway directly across from them. "Whoa, Frank, take a look at this!" Joe shouted.

Following his brother, Frank found Joe looking like a kid in a candy store. Bouncing from one side of the room to the other, he didn't know what to investigate first – the pool table, the dartboards, the large screen TV, the entertainment center or the video game console. Seconds later, Callie and Vanessa arrived, with Vanessa rushing to Joe's side.

"There are two master bedrooms!" she told him excitedly. "And they both have their own private baths – with Jacuzzis," she winked. "There's a fireplace and a private balcony and television…" she continued breathlessly. Throwing her arms around Joe's neck she hugged him tightly. "This is going to be the _best_ vacation!"

"Come on, let's check out the rest of the downstairs," Callie beckoned to Vanessa.

Kissing Joe on the cheek, she happily followed Callie and Frank back out into the living room. Lagging behind, Joe watched them for a moment before stepping outside, suddenly needing a few moments of solitude.

Joe stood on the porch and leaned against the railing, gazing out at the breath-taking view of snow-covered mountains, inhaling the cold, crisp winter air. Hearing a squeal of delight from inside the plush mountain cabin, he smiled at the sound of his fiancée's voice.

"Thanks," Joe said softly, thinking of his parents as his eyes misted over.

When Fenton and Laura Hardy had surprised him and Vanessa with this week long vacation one month earlier, Joe had been beside himself with excitement. An avid skier and snowboarder, he immediately thought of all the fun he'd have out on the slopes every day; and then he noticed the dates of their ski vacation. Excitement had quickly turned to heartfelt gratitude and he'd had to hide a few tears as he met his father's eyes that Christmas morning. Their out-of-town ski trip would coincide with the one-year anniversary of the day Vanessa had been raped.

Several weeks earlier Joe had confided to his father that he was worried about how that date would affect Vanessa. While that awful night had left permanent emotional scars, Vanessa had vowed not to let it control her life. The flashbacks had diminished considerably, and nightmares were rare. She still stayed with her mother whenever Joe had to go out of town overnight, although she was determined to conquer that last hurdle in time.

Joe was afraid remaining in Bayport on the anniversary of the night she'd been so brutally attacked would set Vanessa back months in her recovery. He had told his father he'd hoped to take her out of town, at least for a few days, but it seemed unlikely he would be able to make that happen. Joe was saving every penny to take Vanessa on the honeymoon of her dreams when they were married later that year. Between that and the Christmas holidays, Joe's hopes of taking Vanessa away late in January were quickly fading.

Joe shook his head and smiled as he recalled the way his father had squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and said, _"These things usually have a way of working themselves out."_

'_Only if you have parents like mine,'_ Joe thought gratefully.

"Hey, what are you doing out here? It's freezing!"

Joe turned and smiled at his older brother. Frank was his polar opposite in both looks and temperament with his dark hair and eyes and subdued nature. Still, the two brothers were extremely close and shared a love of mystery, inherited from their world-famous private investigator father.

"Just checking out the scenery."

"Well, put this on," Frank handed Joe the jacket he'd tossed on the chair. "If you get pneumonia and die, Mom will kill me."

"Thanks." Joe smiled and donned the jacket.

Frank leaned against the rail. "It is beautiful out here."

"Mm-hmm," Joe mumbled distractedly.

…

Watching Joe carefully, Frank saw something change in his brother's blue eyes. The look of awe at the beauty that surrounded them had suddenly been replaced by an intense sorrow and deep sadness.

"You're worried about Vanessa," Frank stated.

"Two days," Joe said softly. "In two days it'll be one year that she was…hurt." Joe closed his eyes as his voice faltered. "I…I'm afraid she's gonna have a major setback. And we still haven't gotten the results of her final blood test yet. It should be back sometime this week. The doctor's office is going to call as soon as they know…" Joe looked at his brother desperately. "What if it's too much for her to deal with all at once? "

Frank had long ago stopped wondering if Joe would ever actually say the word 'raped' out loud – he knew it would never happen. He wasn't even certain Joe ever said it to himself. On the rare instances when he did talk about it, Joe would always say Vanessa had been hurt or attacked…never raped. That alone was more than Joe could deal with. Looking at his brother now, Frank began to wonder if everything might just be too much for _Joe_ to deal with all at once, too.

"We'll get her through it," Frank promised, squeezing Joe's shoulder. "All of us – _together_."

Joe glanced away and then looked back at him apprehensively.

"Don't try and do this by yourself, Joe. That night was pretty hard on you, too," Frank said as dark memories of Joe's uncontrollable violence pushed their way to the surface. Frank had never seen his brother so out of control until that night and hoped he'd never witness anything like it again.

"I'm just afraid she's overcompensating," Joe confided his fears to Frank. "It seems the closer the date gets, the happier she is. I wouldn't care if it was genuine but it just seems so…forced. Like she doesn't want to bother anyone with it, or ruin our vacation."

"Are you sure? You said yourself she's been doing really well in therapy," Frank reminded him.

"She has. But I talked to her therapist right before we left." Joe turned to face his brother anxiously. "She said the one year mark is the hardest. Most women, no matter how well they've done in therapy or how prepared they think they are, always take a few steps back.

"Frank, she's just now starting to act like herself again. Laughing and joking… not so afraid of everything and everyone. I don't want to lose her again – even if it is only temporary," Joe finished, obviously looking to his older brother for advice.

Seeing the look on Joe's face – absolute faith that Frank would know exactly what to do to ensure that didn't happen – made Frank stop and really think. He'd always been able to steer Joe in the right direction without hesitation but this was one area where Frank had no experience to draw on. He couldn't even imagine what the past year had been like for Joe and Vanessa.

'_Common sense,'_ Frank thought, feeling the pressure he was putting on himself start to increase. _'Just think it through logically. You know she'll have some kind of backlash; it can't be prevented…but maybe it can be minimized.'_

"Do you know what her triggers are? What might lead to a flashback?" Frank asked.

"Buses and bus stops," Joe responded immediately.

Frank nodded, remembering Vanessa had been waiting for a bus when she was abducted. "What else?"

"Anyone putting their arms around her waist; loud clicks and light bulbs popping when they burn out." Joe recited the list from heart, having seen Vanessa succumb to all of them at one time or another.

Frank digested this information without asking for explanations. Since Vanessa's rapist had committed suicide, there had been no trial and no need for the intimate details of what she'd been through to be made public. While he knew the reasons for some of the triggers, others left him clueless. He didn't ask Joe to elaborate, not wanting him to dwell on the particulars of that night and not really sure himself if he wanted to know the reasons.

"Okay, we know what might cause a flashback and we can do our best to eliminate those things," Frank said. He saw a flash of hope in his brother's eyes, but only for a second before it was replaced with worry once again.

"Joe, you can't stop her from thinking about it. It's gonna be rough, you have to accept that," Frank tried to stop Joe's obviously dark thoughts from sapping all his hopes of helping Vanessa. "But you two don't have to deal with this alone and you don't have to keep everything bottled up inside. It's going to be hard no matter where you are. But, Callie and I are here for you – both of you. We want to help you get through it…you're not alone."

Joe swallowed hard, knowing he couldn't possibly get Vanessa through the upcoming day, let alone himself, without a lot of help. "Thanks. We may need to take you up on that."

"Anytime," Frank said quietly, squeezing Joe's shoulder. The silence was suddenly broken by more shrieks of delight from inside the cabin as Callie and Vanessa continued their inspection. "What say we go back inside and check the place out," Frank suggested with a smile.

Joe swiped at his eyes roughly, "Yeah…let's do that," he responded, the sparkle in his eyes just beginning to return.

Rejoining the girls inside, Joe listened as Vanessa breathlessly described the cabin and all its amenities. Bubbling over with excitement and enthusiasm, she threw her arms around his neck, predicting the upcoming week would be filled with nothing but fun and happiness. Joe looked at his brother and smiled. Maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out all right after all…


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much to Annette, lexifisher, Miss Fenway, MissMe113, Nicole, whashaza, Vee22, MCR-1993 and KennaC for the reviews! :D

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 3**

The next morning all four young people took advantage of the first luxury of vacation – sleeping in. They finally got up and debated what to do for the day over a leisurely breakfast. Recalling the resort's extensive website, Frank got up to set up his computer and check out their options.

Picking up the case from the exact same spot where Joe had put it down the night before, Frank's relaxed demeanor suddenly changed. The startled look on his face was replaced with a frown, which quickly turned to outright anger. As soon as he picked up the case, Frank knew something was wrong; it didn't "feel" quite right. Unzipping the case, he pulled out the laptop and stared at it, livid.

"Something wrong?" Joe asked noting the rapid changes in Frank's attitude. Getting up from the table, he came over to see what Frank was looking at so intently.

"Yes, something's wrong," Frank said heatedly. "This isn't my computer!"

"What do you mean it's not yours? That's your case," Joe replied, confused.

"No, it's not my case. It may look like mine, _Sherlock_," Frank said, the nickname taking on a decidedly nasty tone, "but it belongs to someone else."

Joe grabbed the case and started to look it over himself as Vanessa and Callie joined them, exchanging a worried look. "I don't understand. I never let it out of my sight. It has to be yours."

"Well it's not!" Frank yelled furiously, yanking the bag out of Joe's hand. Shocked at Frank's outburst, Joe flinched back a few steps.

The two girls looked at each other, with Callie moving closer to Frank and Vanessa doing the same with Joe. The room was now overwhelmed with raw tension that felt as if it were on the verge of exploding into violence. Vanessa and Callie had seen the two brothers get into a physical fight only once and never wanted to witness anything like it again. Unfortunately, things seemed to be going downhill fast and they feared today might be the day history repeated itself.

"Damn it, Joe, I can't believe you!" Frank fumed, shoving the laptop back into the case as Joe, Callie and Vanessa watched, warily. "All you had to do was keep an eye on it. A five-year old could do that, so even _you_ should've been able to handle it!"

"I did!" Joe replied, shocked and upset at Frank's reaction.

"Obviously you didn't!" Frank jabbed a finger at him. "And thanks to _your_ carelessness, it was stolen!"

"If someone wanted to steal it, why would they leave another one in its place?" Joe responded out angrily.

"Fine, if it wasn't stolen, then where is it?" Frank growled at him.

"I-I don't know," Joe admitted, nervously wracking his brain trying to figure out what could have happened.

"Well, maybe if you'd paid more attention to the computer like I asked you to, instead of the brunette who _threw_ herself on you, you _would_ know!" Frank lashed out.

A heavy silence descended on them as Frank's accusation hung in the air. Vanessa moved even closer to Joe's side, seeing he was dangerously close to exploding. She put a tentative hand on his arm and then realized he had no intention of physically lashing out at his brother. His eyes were filled with pain – the kind that can only be inflicted by someone you love. Frank's words had cut him deeply.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't been so insistent on trying to teach me a lesson in responsibility, this wouldn't have happened at all." Joe's voice betrayed the hurt he tried to keep inside.

Turning away, he stalked to the closet and grabbed his jacket. Snatching Frank's keys off the counter, he picked up the computer and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Frank demanded.

"To get your precious computer back. It's obviously a hell of a lot more important to you than I am," Joe replied without turning around. He opened the door and left, slamming it behind him.

As Joe's pain-filled word's registered, Frank rushed out the door to catch his brother. Seconds too late, he stood helplessly as Joe drove away. Going back inside he saw Vanessa with a look on her face he couldn't quite decipher.

"Van…that woman…Joe was just…" Frank began, falling over the words.

"Just flirting. I know," Vanessa replied. "I trust him implicitly, Frank. He flirts – he _doesn't_ cheat," she said with absolute certainty. "There's a difference. And he would never knowingly let anything happen to your computer. The lobby was crowded. It was an accident. Even you didn't notice it wasn't yours until a few minutes ago." Vanessa looked at him intently. "You owe him an apology, Frank. Yes, he made a mistake but he didn't deserve that." Abruptly, she turned and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Frank looked at his wife and sighed heavily, dropping into one of the chairs. "Well, I really screwed that up, didn't I?" Frank stared at the fire dejectedly.

"You _were_ just a little hard on him," Callie sat on the arm of the chair and ran her fingers through his hair.

"The fact that the computer was stolen…or mixed up…or _whatever,_ isn't even why I was so upset," Frank continued, looking up at her. "It was the fact that _you_ gave it to me. I know how much trouble you went to, to make sure it was exactly what I wanted." Frank smiled at the surprised look on Callie's face. "Phil said you called him for advice so many times he was about to change his number."

"I wanted to make sure it was perfect," Callie reddened slightly. She didn't know computers anywhere near as well as Frank did. Wanting to get him the perfect gift, she had spent months researching computers, calling their computer wizard friend Phil Cohen at least two or three times a day and dragging Vanessa to every computer store within fifty miles of Bayport to help her find something Frank would treasure.

"And it was." Frank pulled her down for a quick kiss. "But _that's_ why I was so upset. You went to so much trouble and put so much time and effort into it… that in itself was more precious than any material thing you could give me."

Callie was touched that Frank would get so upset at her efforts seemingly having gone to waste. She also found it a little easier to understand his out-of-character reaction – and knew Joe would too, once Frank explained it to him.

"What a way to start a vacation, huh?" Frank said sarcastically. Standing up, he went to the closet and pulled out his jacket and gloves. "I'm gonna take a walk…and think about how I'm going to apologize to Joe when he gets back."

oooOOOooo

Joe drove to the lodge, trying to focus on anything other than Frank's accusations, still amazed at how much they had hurt. Thankfully, the drive was short and Joe was speaking with a desk clerk within minutes.

"Hi, is the manager in?" Joe asked the freckle-faced young man with curly red hair and hazel eyes, obscured by wire-rimmed glasses.

"He's with a guest right now, but it should only take a few minutes if you'd like to wait." The clerk indicated a cozy-looking seating area.

"Thanks, I will," Joe said as he started to turn away.

"Can I tell Mr. Graves what it's in reference to?"

"Yesterday when we checked in, there were a lot of people here in the lobby. One of them accidentally picked up my brother's computer instead of her own." Joe held the black case aloft. "I don't know her name but I'm hoping the manager might be able to track her down so we can get it back."

The clerk smiled and beckoned Joe back towards the desk. "Follow me."

Joe followed the young man to a closed door off to the side of the lobby. After knocking and getting an affirmative response, he opened the door.

"Mr. Graves, I think you'll want to speak with this guest." He pulled the door open so the manager could see Joe.

As Joe peered into the office, he saw not only the manager but also the stunning young woman who'd fallen into him the previous afternoon.

"You must be Frank Hardy," she said to Joe, flashing a dazzling smile.

"Actually I'm his brother, Joe." Joe stepped into the office and shook hands with the attractive woman.

"Apparently I picked up the wrong case by mistake after our little collision." She stood, moving close to Joe and gazed up at him through lowered lashes. "I'm so sorry."

"No problem," he replied with a smile of his own. He offered her the case he'd been carrying and gladly retrieved Frank's computer. "My brother will be very happy to get this back. Thanks."

"Can I buy you a drink to make up for all the trouble I've caused you?" she asked coyly.

"I'm sure my fiancée and I will see you around the resort this week," Joe answered, skillfully letting her know he was not available.

"I'll keep an eye out for you," she replied with a wink. Slinging the case over her shoulder, she squeezed Joe's arm and disappeared out the door.

"If only all my problems were solved this easily," the manager grinned, having simply sat back and watched the entire exchange. "I'm sorry about the mix-up, Mr. Hardy." Reaching into his desk, he pulled out an envelope. Taking out a small booklet, he ripped a sheet off and scribbled something on it. "How many are in your group?" he asked, looking up at Joe with a smile.

"Four. My brother and his wife, my fiancée and myself."

Signing the sheet of paper with a flourish, Mr. Graves handed it to Joe. "Please, have dinner at our restaurant on me. To make up for all your trouble."

"Thank you." Joe took the certificate the man offered, smiled and left. Walking back out to the car, he glanced at it sadly and wondered if it would even begin to make up for the trouble between him and his brother.


	4. Chapter 4

To lexifisher, Vee22, bookworm002 (loved all the thought-provoking questions! ;-) ), Nicole, whashaza, Annette, Cheryl, natedawg and Lazy Panther – thank you ALL for taking the time to comment and let me know what you think. :-)

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 4**

Fifteen minutes later, Joe was back at the cabin. Walking inside, he was struck by the silence – and the tension in the air. Looking around, he saw only Callie, seated on the couch in front of the fireplace, reading a magazine. "Where is everyone?"

"Frank went out for a walk and Vanessa is in your room," she replied with a smile, eyeing the case he set down on the coffee table.

"The woman who bumped into me yesterday has the exact same case as Frank. She just picked up the wrong one by mistake," Joe explained. "She was with the manager when I got there; they were just about to call over here. Make sure he gets it when he gets back." Joe eyed the computer contemptuously before turning and walking into the bedroom.

Hearing the door open, Vanessa turned from where she stood, gazing out the glass doors to the balcony. Crossing the room, she put her arms around Joe's neck and held him tightly. "Did you get it back?"

"Yeah. It was only a mix-up. This woman bumped into me yesterday…" Joe began as Vanessa pulled back to look at him.

"Yeah, Frank mentioned that," she grinned. "I'm gonna have to buy you a stick to beat them off with." She winked, letting him know she wasn't the least bit upset about the incident.

Joe smiled and blushed a little, thinking how different Vanessa was from all the other girls he'd dated before they met. More often than not, they seemed to go off the deep end if another female so much as looked at him, even when he'd done nothing to encourage the attention. _'One more reason I know we were meant to be…'_ Joe thought, kissing her impulsively.

"Anyway, she dropped her computer when she stumbled and she has the exact same case as Frank. She just picked up the wrong one, that's all. It was a simple mistake." Joe's voice dropped a little, hurt feelings evident in each word. "It's not like I did it on purpose."

"Frank knows that, honey. He was just upset and reacted without thinking," Vanessa assured him. She lifted Joe's chin a little so he was forced to look her in the eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, you have some experience with that phenomenon yourself," she said teasingly.

Joe flushed again at Vanessa's assessment. "Now that I know how it feels, I guess I'll have to work on correcting that little personality flaw." Joe sighed and moved to the balcony, looking out at the snow covered mountains. "Some vacation this is turning into…"

oooOOOooo

Frank returned to the cabin, feeling a mixture of relief and nervousness at seeing his car parked out front. Joe was back. Steeling himself Frank opened the door, surprised to see only Callie and Vanessa seated on the couch, talking quietly. "Hey." He looked around. "Where's Joe?"

"He's in the bedroom," Vanessa replied. "He got your computer back." She pointed at the case sitting on the coffee table where Joe had left it.

"Really?" Frank was a little surprised Joe had been able to recover his computer so quickly.

"Yes. And it happened just like Joe thought. That girl who bumped into him simply picked up the wrong one when she left. You two happen to have the exact same carrying case. She was in the manager's office trying to get it all straightened out when Joe got there."

Frank eyed the case. He wanted to hook it up and check it out, just to see for himself that it was none the worse for wear, but he had something much more important to do first. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he said quietly and headed up the stairs.

Standing outside the closed bedroom door, Frank took a deep breath and knocked tentatively. He waited and upon getting no answer, knocked again. "Joe? You in there?" Still no answer.

Cautiously, Frank opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. Moving past the sitting area, he came to a dead stop, his heart twisting with remorse. Joe was sitting out on the balcony, his shoulders hunched over, eyes cast downward.

"Guess I won't be getting the Big Brother of the Year Award after all," he muttered derisively to himself.

Walking to the balcony, Frank opened the door and stepped outside. Sliding the door closed, he noted that Joe never even turned around to see who it was. "Mind if I join you?"

The shoulders stiffened momentarily and then shrugged in a wordless reply. Pulling a chair over, Frank sat down close to his younger brother.

"I owe you an apology, Joe. A big apology. I was angry at the whole situation and I took it out on you. I just reacted without thinking." Frank stopped, waiting to see if Joe would comment.

Although his right leg was nervously bouncing up and down, Joe remained silent.

"Callie gave me that computer for Christmas. She spent months doing research, checking out all the different brands and models, all the programs. It just… it meant so much to me that she went to all that trouble to get exactly what I wanted," Frank paused a moment, hoping for some kind of response. "I was upset – and angry – that it seemed like all her efforts were wiped out in one afternoon. I took it out on you and you didn't deserve it. I'm sorry, Joe; really sorry."

Joe was silent, squinting in the glare of the bright sunlight reflecting off the snow.

Reaching out, Frank laid a hand on Joe's shoulder. "Joe…you _know_ you're more important to me than any computer – no matter who gave it to me," he said quietly.

During his walk, it occurred to Frank that Joe had simply lashed out at him, knowing the accusation that some inanimate object was more important to him than Joe was, would cut him deeply. And initially it had; until he realized Joe didn't mean it. The words he had flung at Joe without thinking had obviously stung his brother more than Joe wanted to admit. Accusing Frank of not caring about him was simply Joe's way of covering up the pain.

Finally Joe sighed, breaking his silence. "Yeah, I know. But everything you said really hurt. I just… I wanted to..." Joe shrugged, deciding not to voice his true feelings.

"You wanted to make me hurt too?" Frank guessed.

This time Joe shook his head. He turned to face Frank, eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. "Gee, when you put it that way it sounds pretty childish," Joe said wryly.

Frank laughed softly at Joe's accurate assessment. "I think we were both pretty childish."

"Yeah, but you started it," Joe couldn't help but tease.

"That I did," Frank agreed, turning a bit more serious. "And I regret it. Being angry is one thing. Taking it out on you is something entirely different." Frank squeezed Joe's shoulder. "By the way, thanks for getting my computer back so fast. You're a pretty good detective, ya know?"

"Whaddya mean 'pretty good'?" Joe's lips twitched upward towards a smile as he pretended to sound offended.

Frank shook his head and chuckled. "Boy, if all those people who think we never fight could see us now..."

Joe shrugged. "At least it's nice to know we're normal."

Frank arched an eyebrow. "Normal?" He looked at his brother dubiously. "Let's not get carried away there, bro."

As Joe's contagious laugh rang out, Frank knew all was forgiven. "So what are you up for today?" Frank stood up and offered Joe a hand, pulling him to his feet. "Skiing or snowboarding?"

"Boarding, of course," Joe smiled and Frank swore he could see those blue eyes twinkling behind the sunglasses.

"That's because you know you're better at it than I am," Frank admitted. "But just wait'll we start skiing those black diamond runs. You'll be eating my dust – or snow, as the case may be."

"Yeah, yeah, you're all talk, _old man_," Joe retorted, knowing Frank was absolutely right. While Joe had it all over Frank when it came to snowboarding, Frank was a natural skier. At one time Joe had encouraged Frank to turn pro, or at least to try out for the Olympic team. Frank quickly vetoed both ideas, insisting he wasn't nearly that good. Nor did he want to spoil the real reason he skied - for the sheer enjoyment of it; something he feared would disappear immediately should he try to make a living at it.

Joe continued the trash talk as they headed downstairs to join the girls, assuring Frank that their earlier misunderstanding was fast fading into oblivion.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to all who are reading and an extra special 'Thank You!' to everyone who has reviewed. :-)

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 5**

The eyes that were so often described as sultry and smoldering were now reflecting nothing but fear. Looking around the partially restored cabin, the young woman who'd fallen into Joe Hardy a day earlier now realized she'd bitten off much more than she could chew. The promise of millions of dollars and the life of luxury it would provide had been more than enough to convince her to betray her country. It now seemed her escalating greed would cost her, her life.

"My boss does not like being double-crossed; or played for a fool."

The man speaking to her was sitting on the edge of a desk, the only piece of furniture in the room. His voice was deadly calm and cool, as if he had ice in his veins. Seated in the straight, hard backed wooden chair with her hands tied behind her, the young woman was at his mercy.

"He sought you out and offered to pay you handsomely for your assistance. Yet when approached by another party, you chose to betray him."

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Her voice was shaking. "I'll honor our original agreement. Just let me go and I'll get the file back." She had to break into the Hardys' cabin and retrieve the laptop she had transferred the file to eventually – now it would just be sooner rather than later.

The man's hazel eyes danced with amusement. "Let you go? Why would I do that, my dear? You've already proven you can't be trusted."

"It – it was a stupid mistake. It won't happen again, I promise." Distress was creeping into her voice. "Besides, you still need me; you don't know where the file is." She was certain her performance the previous afternoon had been flawless. She simply stumbled and fell in the crowd of people; no one had seen she purposely picked up the wrong computer… had they?

"Ah, but we do." He stood and walked around behind the chair, as her heart sank. "We're not really as stupid as you seem to think we are." He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun. "We've never done business with you before, so we showed up earlier than the agreed-upon time, to keep an eye on you." From a side pocket, he pulled out a silencer and slowly screwed it on. "We saw you bump into your contact yesterday in the lobby."

'_My contact?'_ she thought stunned. She had seen the two men in the lobby and panicked, as they were there ahead of schedule. Knowing she needed a safe place to temporarily hide the file, she had 'accidentally' bumped into Joe Hardy for the sole purpose of 'borrowing' the computer he was carrying. After transferring the file to the stolen laptop, she had returned the computer to him certain he thought it was just an accident. She now realized the man in front of her thought Joe had been the other bidder, and that she turned the file over to him in exchange for payment.

"Has he left the resort yet?" The man leaned in over her shoulder, his breath hot on her skin.

"N-no." Her mind whirled, trying to figure out how she could turn their misunderstanding to her advantage.

"Good. How long is he staying?"

'_If I play along and let them think he really is my contact, maybe I can buy some time.' _She felt the faintest glimmer of hope.

"He'll be here all week. But if you take me with you, I can get the file back much faster than you could on your own. You don't know what type of file it is or what it's called… Look, we made plans to meet later in the week for a drink," she told him, taking some bizarre comfort in the fact that she wasn't exactly lying. "I can get it back from him then. I'll convince him we should go back to his cabin. I know exactly where it is! You still need me!" she finished desperately.

"Hmmm…." He mused, seeming to consider her offer, enjoying her distress. "You probably could save us some time at that." Raising the gun, he aimed it at the back of her head. "However, you are now a liability. I wouldn't be able to let you out of my sight. I'm afraid I'll have to muddle through without you and get it back on my own. Goodnight, my dear."

Before she could utter a word, he pulled the trigger. She slumped forward in the chair, killed instantly.

"Ross!" he barked out.

The door opened and a large, heavyset man with dark, squinty eyes and a fringe of black hair stepped into the cabin.

"Dispose of her and meet me back at the lodge. We'll be waiting in the bar." He calmly turned and walked out the door.

oooOOOooo

The man with the hazel eyes and no heart, slid into a chair at the table. Absently pushing a lock of light brown hair off his forehead, he surveyed the room with interest. The resort's bar and dance club was just coming alive, with guests and patrons filtering in after a day of fun in the snow.

"The first part of our problem has been resolved," he announced to the man already seated at the table. He waved a waitress over and after ordering a drink, returned his attention to the man seated opposite him.

In his early fifties with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes, the older man nodded approvingly. "And the second part of the equation?"

"Will be resolved before the week is out. She said he'll be here all week, so there's no need to rush. We can take our time and do it right."

"Good. Then we can make the exchange as planned next week." He nodded then sat back and observed the people around him with mild curiosity.

oooOOOooo

Joe Hardy walked into the bar and dance club, a smile lighting up his face.

"I got to spend a day on the slopes putting my older brother to shame; had a gourmet meal on the house and now I get to dance the night away with the most beautiful woman on the planet," Joe announced, wrapping his arms around Vanessa and kissing her. "Life is good!"

"Give him free food and he's happy," Vanessa teased.

"There's an empty table over there." Frank pointed across the room and nudged his brother along.

Easily threading his way through the growing crowd of people, Joe led the others to the table and sat down, much to the chagrin of another couple who were just a few steps too late. Despite a day of snowboarding, Joe had energy to burn and drummed his fingers on the table while looking around the room. Seeing the annoying 'tap-tap-tap' was already starting to grate on Frank's nerves, Vanessa reached out and placed her hand over Joe's.

"Thanks," Frank said with a grin. "I'd hate to have to kill him on our first full day of vacation."

As a new song began playing, Joe's eyes lit up. "Hey, they're playing our song! Let's go!" Without waiting for a reply, he stood up, pulled Vanessa to her feet and headed out for the dance floor. "Order us some drinks!" he called out to Frank over his shoulder as he and Vanessa disappeared into the crowd.

"Too bad we can't bottle some of that energy and sell it," Callie smiled wryly. "We'd never have to work again."

"Where he gets it from is a mystery no one has been able to solve," Frank marveled as a waitress approached. While he gave her their orders, a somewhat slower song came on. Frank extended his hand to Callie. "Care to dance, Mrs. Hardy?"

"My pleasure, Mr. Hardy," she accepted and followed Frank to the edge of the dance floor, happily melting into his arms.

…

At the table in the shadows, Ross had now joined his companions. Like the other two, he was content to sit and watch while nursing a beer.

"The problem has been disposed of?" the older man inquired, as if asking about the weather.

"Yes, sir. It won't be discovered until the spring thaw."

"Very good." His eyes narrowed as if he were searching for someone in particular. "Which one is he?" When the slower song had begun to play, many people returned to their tables for a break, leaving a wide-open view of those left on the dance floor. Joe and Vanessa were dead center, wrapped up in each other's arms. Oblivious to anyone else in the room, they swayed slowly in time with the music.

"The blonde," Ross replied, jutting his chin in Joe's direction. "He was her contact."

"His name?"

"According to the desk clerk, his name is Frank Hardy," the hazel eyed man answered. "He's staying in one of the cabins with the rest of his group. They're not scheduled to check out until next weekend."

In response to his employers raised eyebrows, he smirked. "Money talks. For the right amount, she was only too happy to let me see the registration records."

Standing the older man smiled at his operatives. "I can see you have everything under control here. I'll be returning home tonight. Once you've retrieved the file and disposed of him, let me know." He tossed several large bills on the table and left.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks to bookworm, Miss Fenway, Ellibell, Nicole (patience my child, patience ;-) ), lexifisher, Wyntirsno and Cheryl for the reviews! :-)

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 6**

Vanessa awoke with a start, momentarily confused and disoriented. Seeing Joe asleep beside her calmed her only slightly. Gazing around the room she remembered they were on vacation. Despite the warmth of the room and the heavy down comforter, Vanessa shivered, remembering what day it was. She had hoped spending the previous day playing on the ski slopes and dancing well into the night would leave her too exhausted to dream, but it wasn't meant to be. Squeezing her eyes shut, Vanessa tried to force it from her memory, even though she knew it was pointless. The dream, the nightmare, would haunt her until the day she died.

Moving closer to Joe, she carefully lifted his arm and put it around her shoulder. He stirred slightly, instinctively holding her closely, but didn't awaken. Vanessa watched him sleep, trying to will the terrifying images away…

…_dazed and unable to fight back…_

…_carried to a waiting car…_

…_handcuffs snapped into place with a frighteningly loud click…_

…_dragged from the car, she tried to run…_

Vanessa whimpered involuntarily as the vivid memories continued, gaining momentum on their way to the inevitable and horrific conclusion.

…_grabbed and thrown violently to the ground, barely conscious…_

…_her clothes roughly torn away…_

…_hands viciously exploring her body…_

Vanessa had hoped, even prayed, that she would pass out but a cruel twist of fate had left her just conscious enough to hear and feel everything; a virtual guarantee that she would be sentenced to a lifetime of remembering, and reliving, every sickening detail.

…_the suffocating weight pressed down on her… _

…_and then pain…_

…_the endless pain…_

The sobs came on suddenly and uncontrollably, as Vanessa relived every moment of the nightmare that had changed her life. The fear, shame and disbelief that this unspeakable crime had happened to her were overwhelming, just as they had been one year ago. Her emotions rapidly spiraled out of control, just as they did one year ago. And just as she had one year ago, Vanessa felt the strong arms that came to be her 'safe place', surround her and gently pull her close.

Unable to stop the tears, Vanessa tried to focus on Joe's soft words of reassurance. She felt powerless to do anything but cling to him, as the nightmare slowly played itself out in agonizing detail. It seemed much too long before the tears finally slowed, replaced by sniffles and the occasional shudder.

…

Knowing nothing he could say would take away the pain, Joe simply held his fiancée tightly, hoping his touch would give her the sense of security she needed. They lay together quietly, for a very long time, not speaking or moving. Gently, Joe stroked Vanessa's hair. He knew from past experience, the slow, repetitive motion always seemed to bring her a measure of comfort. To his relief, it seemed to calm her now, as it always had before.

The sounds of footsteps and muted voices passing by the closed door and continuing down the stairs broke the silence. A few moments later, the scent of freshly brewing coffee made its way into the room.

"Do you want to get up and have breakfast or stay here?" Joe asked softly.

…

Vanessa considered the question silently. The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with her thoughts and memories all day. The images had been more graphic and explicit than they had in months, reawakening the feelings of unbearable shame that had controlled her every move the first few weeks after the rape. Right now, Vanessa's runaway emotions almost had her convinced that Frank and Callie would look at her differently today, knowing what had taken place exactly one year ago. Or would they even want to look at her? To be seen with her?

'_Stop!'_ The small voice of reason in the back of her mind shouted, demanding to be heard. _'Frank and Callie care about you; they love you. Let them help you…'_

Vanessa concentrated on the voice, slowly letting it drown out the other voices – the ones that told her she was dirty and unlovable. Shifting slightly in Joe's embrace, she knew what she _wanted_, but wasn't sure she had the right to ask for it.

"I…I don't want to be alone. I want…I _need_ to be distracted," she admitted hesitantly. "I don't want to relive this all day." The cruel voices momentarily returned telling Vanessa she brought it all on herself by choosing to take the bus instead of waiting for Joe to pick her up as he had asked her to do. _'You got exactly what you deserved that night! And you deserve to be alone now!'_ the voices mocked. "No, never mind. You guys go out and have a good time today."

"Absolutely not!" Joe said, fiercely protective. "If it's distraction you want, that's exactly what you'll get!"

"But what about Frank and Callie?" she asked, looking up at Joe timidly. She knew he would sacrifice his entire day – his entire vacation – to keep her distracted and her thoughts occupied. But did she have the right to ask that of Frank and Callie, too? "This is their vacation, too. They shouldn't have it ruined trying to keep me preoccupied."

Joe brushed her hair back as the look on her face took him back in time. It was a look he'd grown painfully accustomed to, at times fearing it was a permanent change. Gone was his strong, sassy fiancée, replaced by…

'_A scared little girl,'_ he thought, pulling her closer. _'Terrified of her own shadow.'_

Anger, rage and blind fury at what had happened to Vanessa, and at his own inability to prevent it, shouted at Joe. They wanted him to listen, to feel and to let them take complete control of him, just as they had on that night. The violent emotions were fighting to surface, looking for an outlet. Joe fought hard to stay in control before the one painful truth resurfaced. The one truth that he long ago realized he would never come to terms with – Vanessa had been raped simply to get back at him. She had been brutalized by an assailant who knew that one fact would haunt Joe for the rest of his life. It was the one reality Joe knew he would never, ever forgive himself for.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Joe forced himself to focus on Vanessa, knowing how much she needed him right now. "Frank and Callie? Well they're… they're Frank and Callie!" Joe finally replied, remembering his conversation with Frank that first night.

_"Don't try and do this by yourself, Joe…Callie and I are here for you – both of you…you're not alone."_

"They're always here for us, no matter what. Today will be no different," he finished without a trace of doubt.

Joe held his breath as Vanessa silently considered his words. He would do anything Vanessa asked. If she wanted to hide from the world today, he would hide with her. But Frank had been right when he said that night was hard on Joe, too, and right now, Joe needed distraction as much as Vanessa did. He desperately wanted to get out of this room and the sadness that seemed to be suffocating them. He knew Frank and Callie would gladly provide that distraction for both of them, if only they asked.

Finally, Vanessa looked up at him, sniffing the air appreciatively as she did so. "Then maybe we should get up and not let that wonderful breakfast they're cooking go to waste."

oooOOOooo

Callie glanced nervously at the stairs. "How long should we wait?"

"Let's give them a little more time." Neither of them said a word, but they had both heard Vanessa sobbing earlier. That had reinforced Frank's belief that if Joe tried to get Vanessa through this day by himself, it would prove to be disastrous for them both.

"I spoke to the concierge last night about taking the shuttle bus back from the restaurant." Callie moved to the counter and gathered the ingredients for pancake batter. "He said we can rent the cross-country skis here and ski the trails to the restaurant at the overlook. Once we get there, we can send the skis back on the shuttle and take a taxi back ourselves so she won't have to face getting on a bus today."

Frank stared at his wife and smiled, wondering if she really knew just how much he loved her. Callie's extraordinary sensitivity and the way she could remember the smallest details never ceased to amaze him. He hoped Joe and Vanessa wouldn't stay holed up in their room all day, aware of the day Callie had planned for the four of them. He knew it was just the distraction they needed, to make the day bearable and maybe even enjoyable.

Several minutes later, Frank's patience was rewarded when they heard footsteps on the stairs. Throwing a dishtowel over one arm, he flashed Callie a triumphant smile just as Joe and Vanessa entered the kitchen.

"Good morning! Welcome to Chateau de Hardy," Frank said with a cheesy French accent, making a sweeping gesture that encompassed the kitchen and dining area. "May I show you to our best table?"

Not waiting for a reply, Frank hustled Joe and Vanessa towards the table, holding out a chair for Vanessa. "May I take the lady's order?" he asked solicitously, easing the chair in as Vanessa sat down. "Bacon and eggs? Pancakes? Waffles? Perhaps a made-to-order omelet from your personal chef?" he finished, bowing slightly.

Watching Frank's exaggerated efforts on her behalf, Vanessa couldn't help but smile, the horrifying nightmare and the images she thought had been seared into her mind, were quickly fading into the background.

"I'll have an omelet, please," she answered quite seriously.

"Mushrooms? Cheese? Vegetables?" Frank inquired, an invisible pen poised over the invisible pad in his hand.

Vanessa thought for a moment before responding with an enthusiastic "Yes!", laughing at Frank's raised eyebrows.

"You've got a hungry one on your hands, sir," he commented to Joe before retreating to the stove to fill Vanessa's request.

"And for you sir?" Callie asked Joe, with an accent even worse than Frank's as she batted her eyelashes at him. "Pancakes, perhaps?"

"That sounds good," Joe replied with a wink, "for a start!"

As Frank and Callie set about preparing breakfast, Vanessa reached out and closed her hand over Joe's. Her eyes were brimming with tears once again, but this time they were tears of gratitude that came from knowing she was cherished and loved.

Joe lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. He knew this was just the beginning and couldn't even imagine what Frank and Callie had planned for the rest of the day.

Moments later, Frank returned to the table, serving Vanessa's omelet with a flourish. He immediately placed a vase in front of her, containing a single, long-stemmed, red rose.

Vanessa stared at it, her eyes wide. "Where did you find a rose up here in the middle of winter?" she asked in hushed disbelief.

"My little secret." Frank winked and returned to the stove once more.

Joe stared at his brother's retreating back, only coming out of his trance when Callie placed a dish in front of him. Looking down, he saw a dangerously high, teetering stack of pancakes, the top of which was adorned with a smiley face made of maple syrup. Automatically smiling himself, he watched as Vanessa reached out and carefully picked up the vase, bringing it close to her. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, taking in the fragrant scent of the delicate flower. Looking at Frank and Callie, Joe mouthed a silent _thank you_, knowing it wasn't nearly thanks enough, getting a wink and a nod in reply.

As Vanessa placed the vase in the center of the table, Frank and Callie sat down, their own breakfast plates in hand. All was silent for a few moments as they were all lost in thought and enjoying the delicious breakfast, until Frank broke the silence.

"Why don't you fill them in on what they've got to look forward to today?" Frank smiled at his wife.

"Okay," Callie replied, taking a sip of coffee. "After we finish breakfast, we'll go down to the lodge and pick up our cross-country skis. There are some gorgeous trails around here and one of them leads to _Windows_."

"Oooh, I remember reading about that restaurant in the brochures!" Vanessa's eyes were alight with excitement. "Oh, but it said you had to make reservations months in advance. It's always booked solid," she finished, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Never underestimate the persuasive powers of my wife," Frank said proudly, squeezing Callie's hand. "We have lunch reservations for one o'clock."

Smiling at the look of amazement on Vanessa's face, Callie continued. Pulling out a map, she handed it to Joe who unfolded it and held it so both he and Vanessa had a good view of it. "The trail in red is the one that leads to _Windows_. I thought we could take that one. The scenery is beautiful and it's not too, too challenging. Just enough to work up an appetite." At Joe and Vanessa's murmurs of agreement, she threw a pleased look at Frank.

"After lunch, we can take the cable car to the top of the mountain." She stopped and pointed out the little blurb about it on the map. "At the top, we'll actually be above the clouds, but when the clouds break the view is unbelievable. We can stay up there as long as we like. Once we come back down, we can take a cab back to the lodge where we have two snowmobiles reserved for this afternoon," she concluded, deftly avoiding all mention of the shuttle bus.

At the looks of excitement on the faces of Joe and Vanessa, Callie glanced at Frank and grinned, happy to see their plan was having the desired effect.

"When we've had enough snowmobiling, we'll come back here and relax in the hot tub for a little while before heading out for dinner. We have reservations at _Mangia_, the only five star restaurant in the area. And since we'll need to work off all that good food, we'll finish up at the hottest dance club in town – which happens to be right across the street from _Mangia_."

Joe could only stare at his sister-in-law, stunned. He knew she and Frank would go all out to keep him and Vanessa preoccupied all day, but this was way beyond anything he had expected.

Vanessa reached out to her best friend. Hugging Callie tightly, she leaned forward a little and grasped Frank's hand, squeezing hard. "Thank you," was all she could manage at the moment.

Thirty minutes later, as they were getting ready to embark on their day, Joe pulled his brother aside, still a little overwhelmed. "Frank, I don't know exactly what to say… how to thank you…" he began emotionally. Until that morning, when he held Vanessa as she cried, Joe hadn't realized just how much he would be affected by this date.

"You _don't_ thank me," Frank smiled at him. "That's what big brothers are for."

As Frank joined the girls by the door, he held it open for them. Seeing Joe point at Callie and hold up a finger, Frank nodded once and ushered Vanessa outside, chatting all the way to the car.

Taking Callie's arm, Joe pulled her back and looked at her for a long moment. Wordlessly, he pulled her close and hugged her tightly, surprised to find himself fighting back tears. Holding onto her until he regained control of his runaway emotions, he felt her rubbing his back gently, just the way Frank always did when he was upset. Finally releasing her, he put his arm around her shoulders and they silently walked to the car.

oooOOOooo

The two men sat on a bench, watching the four young people put on their skis. Laughing and joking, Frank, Joe, Callie and Vanessa were getting ready to head out on the trails, unaware their every move was being scrutinized.

"They're always together!" the balding man muttered in frustration.

"Don't worry," the younger man replied calmly. "They'll be here all week; we've got plenty of time."

"But he's never alone! It's like they _know_ what we're planning!"

"He'll be alone…eventually," the man responded watching Joe carefully. "We'll bide our time until he is and then make our move."

"Thinks his friends will get suspicious when he suddenly disappears?"

The man shrugged, nonplussed. "They may not even know what he's into or that he's using them as a cover. Doesn't matter if they do. We'll be long gone by then." He inhaled deeply on the cigarette dangling from his lips. Taking the last drag, he dropped it to the walkway and ground it out under his heel. "And who knows how long it'll take for the authorities to separate his remains from the rest of the ashes…"


	7. Chapter 7

Nicole: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Miss Fenway: Sorry, but I think you're in for another roller coaster ride. ;-)

Bookworm: Thanks, I'm so glad you like my version of Frank and Callie. I think they're the best big brother and sister-in-law ever, also.

Vee: Thank you so much. I've tried to keep Vanessa's reactions throughout the series believable while still allowing her to move forward with her life and start to heal.

Lexifisher: Aw, thanks! As for the bad guys – they may win a battle or two but they rarely win the war. ;-)

Catti-dono: LOL! I'm glad you like Joe in trouble stories!

BIG thanks for the reviews, guys! :D

And thanks to everyone who is reading and all those who have added this story to their favorites and/or alerts.

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 7**

Embarking on the trail Callie had chosen, the small group took the time to enjoy their surroundings and each other. A few snowball fights, an impromptu race between the brothers, the building of a 'snow couple' and the creation of more than one snow angel were interspersed with tranquil periods of silent skiing. By the time the foursome had arrived at the restaurant, all had worked up an appetite.

As they sat outside and removed their skis and bindings, Callie silently nudged her husband. Frank glanced up at her and then looked in the direction she indicated, nodding his understanding. "Why don't you two go inside and let them know we're here," Frank suggested, looking at Callie and Vanessa, "while Joe and I take care of the skis."

"Sounds good to me," Vanessa agreed. Standing up next to Joe, she rubbed her nose against his cheek before gracing him with a kiss.

"Hey, that's cold!" he laughed, rubbing a gloved finger on the end of her nose before taking her skis and poles. "You better get inside and warm up."

Watching her follow Callie into the restaurant, he turned and fell into step beside his brother. As they neared the end of the paved pathway, a shuttle bus pulled to a stop in front of them.

"Hold these a sec." Frank offered both his and Callie's skis and poles to Joe, then climbed onto the bus and held a hushed conversation with the driver. A moment later, he stepped off followed by the driver.

The middle-aged man walked around to the back of the bus, beckoning them to follow. Opening the storage area, he took the four sets of skis and poles and stowed them inside.

Frank offered his hand. "Thanks."

"Not a problem. They let me know ahead of time at the lodge to expect you," he responded, shaking Frank's hand. "Enjoy the rest of your day." He waved, getting back on the bus and closing the door to wait in relative warmth for any straggling passengers.

"Okay, let's get inside. I'm freezing." Frank's forward momentum was abruptly halted as Joe grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

"You arranged that ahead of time?" Joe asked, a little in awe. "Just so she wouldn't have to get on a bus today?"

"Callie and I hashed out the details together last night, things we definitely wanted to include and things we wanted to avoid." Frank shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Our skis go back on the shuttle bus and we go back in a cab. Now, whaddya say we get inside. I'm starting to get frostbite – and I'm starving." Frank slung an arm over his brother's shoulders as they walked back to the restaurant.

oooOOOooo

Having snagged one of the best tables in the restaurant, by one of the floor-to-ceiling windows with a dazzling view of the imposing mountains and spectacular valley below, the group enjoyed an extra-long, leisurely lunch. After steaming cups of cider and some enthusiastic dessert swapping, Frank, Joe, Vanessa and Callie took the lift up to the top of the highest mountain peak.

As if in deference to the dramatic three-hundred-sixty degree view, conversations came to an abrupt halt as the riders disembarked and scattered about the platform. Just as Callie had predicted, when the clouds parted, the magnificent view became even more breathtaking.

Feeling Frank's arms wrap around her waist, Callie leaned back against him contentedly. _'Three whole days and they've managed to stay out of trouble,'_ she mused to herself with a smile. _'Aside from that little mix-up with the laptop, they've managed to avoid anything even remotely resembling a mystery. It's a miracle!'_

"Penny for your thoughts," Frank whispered in her ear, following it up with a kiss on her cheek.

"Mmmm….just thinking about how nice this feels." Callie pulled his arms tighter around her. She did _not_ want to jinx the remainder of their vacation by voicing her thoughts aloud! "I think it's working," she observed, glancing to her left.

Following her line of sight, Frank saw Joe and Vanessa on the opposite side of the platform gazing off into the distance. Cuddling close together, they would periodically exchange soft kisses and whispered conversation, oblivious to everyone else around them.

"They seem really happy," Frank agreed. "When we get back to the cabin tonight, remind me to thank you properly for planning all this," he said huskily, nuzzling her neck.

"My pleasure," Callie murmured, just as Frank silenced her with a kiss.

After taking in the view from all sides, with Frank recording it all on his digital camera, they finally returned to the lift for the ride back down the mountain. As the car slowly made it's way back to the overlook, Callie and Vanessa began discussing all the cute shops they had seen during their drive through town en route to the resort. Both readily agreed they'd like to return for a day of souvenir shopping and made plans to do so the following day.

"Booooring." Joe rolled his eyes at the mere suggestion of 'wasting' a precious vacation day on something as mundane as shopping.

"I think the girls can manage without us," Frank grinned. "Although that means we will be left all alone to fend for ourselves. Guess we'll have to find something to amuse ourselves."

As Joe pondered that thought, his eyes suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Uh-oh…" Vanessa looked at Frank. "He just thought of something. I'd start worrying if I were you."

"I'm way ahead of you." Frank looked at his younger brother dubiously. "What exactly is going through that warped little brain of yours, Joe?"

"Heli-skiing!" Joe said excitedly. "I saw it advertised at the lodge!"

Frank's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you crazy? I don't want to die young, thanks anyway."

"What's heli-skiing?" Callie asked. "And is it something I really want my husband doing?"

"It's skiing for people who have a death wish!" Frank answered, eyeing his brother warningly.

Ignoring Frank's dire predictions of the consequences of heli-skiing, Joe's irrepressible enthusiasm took over as he explained. "It's like extreme skiing. You start at the very top of the mountain – as high up as you can get and still be on solid ground! You can only get to the peak by helicopter."

"Hence the name," Frank interrupted.

"And the drops can be anywhere from 1,500 to 6,000 vertical feet – straight down!" Joe enthused, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Only the very best skiers are even allowed to attempt it!"

Vanessa looked at him in shock, her mouth agape. "You jump out of a helicopter onto the mountain and just…_go_?"

"Oh man, I wish!" Joe lamented. "No, the helicopter lands and you go from there. But the whole point is to ski on the steepest, most vertical runs you can find! What a rush!" He was literally bouncing from one foot to the other in anticipation.

Vanessa looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "I have one question – _WHY_?"

"Because it's fun!" Joe replied, grinning from ear to ear, ignoring the fact that the others were looking at him as if he should be committed. "Frank, you're a great skier. You can do the double black diamonds with your eyes closed and your hands tied behind your back. You'll have a blast!"

Frank crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head adamantly. "Uh-uh. No way. I'm not insane, unlike some people we know."

"Come on, don't be a weenie," Joe retorted, knowing exactly what buttons to push to get Frank to agree.

"Are you challenging me, _baby_ brother?" Frank narrowed his eyes and emphasized the word 'baby'.

"Oh, great, here we go," Callie muttered to Vanessa.

"Is it me or did the testosterone level just jump about a thousand percent?" Vanessa asked sarcastically.

"You bet I am," Joe responded to his brother's accusation, knowing full well a challenge was the only way he'd get Frank to go. "I bet I can do more runs than you, and I'll even spot you one run, _old_ man."

"You're on," Frank said. "We'll sign up as soon as we get back to the lodge."

Vanessa eyed Joe with a resigned sigh. "Frank, can I make a request?"

"Sure, what?"

"Don't let him kill himself," she said, as the car smoothly came to a stop at the bottom of the tracks. "I've already put a deposit on my wedding dress and I can't get it back."

Joe blushed, but laughed along with the others as they disembarked from the car. While the girls headed inside to use the restroom, Frank asked the maitre d' to call a cab for them. Returning to the walkway that encircled the restaurant, he watched Joe turn and rest his forearms against the rail as he gazed out at the incredible sight of towering mountain peaks and deep snow-covered valleys.

"How're you doing?" Frank had leaned back against the rail, facing the opposite direction of Joe, and was watching his brother carefully.

Joe thought for a moment before answering honestly. "I'm okay as long as I don't think too much."

"Haven't you heard? You're not allowed to think when you're on vacation."

"Well, then I guess that solves that problem," Joe grinned. The smile lasted only seconds before it disappeared completely.

"You look like you're thinking." Frank said, hoping Joe would take the opportunity to open up about what was bothering him.

Joe squinted out into the bright sunlight and frowned. "What time are our dinner reservations for?"

"Seven, I think. Why?" Frank sensed the question was not an attempt to change the subject, but rather had a great deal to do with whatever was troubling Joe.

Joe's mood seemed to have changed in the blink of an eye from happy and joking, to quiet and troubled, to what was now solemn and heartbreakingly sad.

"She could see his watch," Joe said quietly, cryptically. "It had a luminous dial."

Frank suddenly got a chill and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Whatever it was Joe had to get off his chest was going to be very difficult to hear…

"When I talked to Dr. Jennings last week, she told me," Joe continued referring to Vanessa's therapist. "Vanessa could see his watch," he repeated in a soft, haunted voice. "She knows exactly what time it was when it started… how long it took before he… before it was over…" Joe drew in a shaky breath. "She said it was important that Vanessa not be alone at that time today."

Frank shivered at the image that popped, unbidden and unwanted, into his mind. Feeling a little queasy, he shook his head – hard – hoping that would dislodge it. This was one of those little details he'd had no desire to hear. Pushing the sickening scene away, he focused all his attention on Joe.

Reaching out he placed a firm hand on Joe's shoulder and squeezed hard. "What time?" he asked softly.

The answer was whisper soft. "Five thirty two."

Frank could see Joe squeezing his eyes shut behind his sunglasses. "You let me worry about it, okay? Neither one of you will be alone – I promise."

Joe turned towards his brother. "Thank you," he choked out.

Frank nodded and patted him on the back. Looking over Joe's shoulder, Frank saw Callie and Vanessa heading their way. "Here come the girls," he said and moved to intercept them, giving Joe the time he needed to pull himself together.

oooOOOooo

After returning to the lodge, the rest of the afternoon was spent making the most of the snowmobiles Callie had reserved for them. By the time they arrived back at the cabin the sun was just disappearing behind the mountains as night began to close in.

As they had been off and on all afternoon, Frank, Callie and Vanessa were once again teasing Joe about his chosen activity for the following day. Glancing at her cell phone on the counter as she walked towards the kitchen, Vanessa noticed the flashing display, indicating someone had called while they were out. Picking up the phone, she pushed a button and stared at the caller identification. The joking and teasing ceased as the others noticed Vanessa hadn't moved.

Joe moved closer to her. "Van?"

Vanessa looked at him. "Dr. Jackson's office called." Her voice was a mix of hopefulness and trepidation. She stared at the phone again, making no move to retrieve the message.

Frank instinctively moved closer to Joe, fearing Joe's reaction should the news not be what they were all hoping for.

Feeling Frank's presence, Joe blindly reached back as his subconscious told him he would need the stability only physical contact with his brother could provide. Joe latched onto Frank's arm and held on tight, completely unaware of his actions. He hadn't needed to feel that kind of safety and security from his brother since he was a very small child.

Surprised and slightly taken aback, Frank glanced down at Joe's hand gripping his arm. That one gesture brought home the fact that should Vanessa be in the minutely small percentage of people who initially tested positive for HIV on their _final_ screening, the impact it had on Joe would be catastrophic. The thought struck him with terrifying force.

Quickly recovering from the initial shock, Frank covered Joe's hand with his own and squeezed tightly, not really sure Joe was even aware of it. _'I'm right here. You're not alone.'_

Exchanging a glance with Callie, he saw the hope in her eyes fighting to overcome the fear that her best friend might be about to receive a death sentence. He also saw the clock on the wall.

'_Five thirty two. Life couldn't possibly be that cruel… could it?' _Frank was suddenly chilled to the bone.

Pressing a button to retrieve the message, Vanessa put the phone to her ear, closed her eyes and gripped Joe's hand.

…

Watching his fiancée, Joe felt completely and utterly helpless and began to pray.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for the reviews! :-)

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 8**

As Vanessa listened to the message her hand began to shake and her lower lip quivered.

'_NO!'_ Joe thought, as panic engulfed him. _'Please God, NO! She can't be…I need her!' _As Vanessa opened her eyes, the tears spilled over and Joe saw his future without her - a gaping hole of darkness and depression he would never climb out of.

Suddenly Vanessa threw herself on Joe. Leaping into his arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist with unabashed enthusiasm, causing him to stumble back a few steps towards Frank.

"Negative!" she cried out happily, hugging Joe so tightly Frank wondered if he could breathe. "The test was negative!"

'_Negative?'_ Joe's mind whirled with confusion as the word didn't register at first. Slowly, the meaning sank in. _'Negative!' _Hearing Vanessa's muted sobs of happiness against his shoulder, he felt her tears soaking through his shirt, as a tear rolled down his own cheek.

Grinning at Vanessa's reaction, Frank held out an arm bracing his brother and preventing Joe and Vanessa from falling to the floor in a heap.

"That's wonderful!" Callie impulsively wrapped her arms around both Joe and Vanessa and hugged them tightly.

"Congratulations!" Frank seconded and joined in the impromptu group hug. He couldn't even imagine what Joe was feeling at that moment. He recalled the many nights over the past year when Joe had confided, sometimes in tears, just how terrified he was that one day they'd find out Vanessa was HIV-positive. Frank had realized early on that losing Vanessa to AIDS would be more than Joe could deal with. Closing his eyes, Frank said a prayer of thanks that they would never have to worry about that again.

Feeling a tug on his arm, Frank opened his eyes and saw Callie motioning to their bedroom. Glancing at Joe and Vanessa, Frank saw the tears in his brother's eyes right before he and Vanessa melted into a passionate kiss.

Following Callie into the bedroom, Frank quietly closed the door behind him, watching as Callie headed straight for the closet.

"I think maybe we should go out tonight so they can celebrate in private," she said over her shoulder as she opened the closet door. Bending down, Callie picked up the small cooler she had hidden there when they first arrived. Closing the door, she moved to the desk and set it down. Unzipping the top, she reached inside and pulled out a dark green bottle and four slender, long-stemmed flutes.

Frank looked from the bottle of champagne to his wife, his eyes shining with pride and gratitude. Shaking his head, Frank approached her and took her in his arms, pulling her close.

"Thank you. You are amazing." Holding her tightly, Frank enjoyed the feeling of having her in his arms for a few moments before stepping back. "How did you know it would be negative?" he asked, picking up one of the champagne flutes absently.

"I took a gamble." Callie smiled, handing Frank the bottle and picking up the glasses. "All her previous blood tests came back negative. The odds were this one would too."

"I love you." Frank leaned down and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose, as Callie blushed.

"Listen, I was serious about going out tonight," she reiterated, heading for the door. "We should go out for dinner and a movie. I'm sure they'll want to spend the evening alone together."

"Absolutely," Frank agreed as he followed Callie back out into the living room.

Still wrapped in each other's arms, Joe and Vanessa looked up as Frank and Callie returned. Noticing the bottle of champagne and glasses, Joe's heart caught in his throat. Looking at Callie as she set the glasses down on the counter, he smiled in appreciation, once again amazed at her incredible thoughtfulness. It occurred to Joe that Callie had an uncanny ability to remember the small, seemingly insignificant details, yet they were always the ones that did the most to make him and Vanessa feel special and loved.

Releasing Vanessa, Joe took a step forward and scooped Callie up in his arms, hugging her. "Thanks, Sis," he said softly, his voice catching.

"You're welcome." She kissed him on the cheek as he set her on her feet again.

Trying to swallow the lump in her throat, Vanessa couldn't find the words to adequately express her gratitude for Callie's friendship, and simply held out her arms. As the two young woman hugged, Joe stepped over to his brother, who was carefully unwrapping the cork on the champagne bottle.

"She's a pretty amazing woman," Joe commented with a grin and a wink. "You did good."

"Yeah, I think I'll keep her," Frank said dryly.

"Thanks, bro," Joe said quietly his eyes shining. "To both of you."

"I'm just glad we could be here to help you celebrate the good news." The cork flew off with a resounding pop.

"Whoa!" Joe cried out, laughing as the champagne bubbled over. Grabbing two glasses, he held them as Frank poured the bubbly liquid. Handing Callie and Vanessa each a glass, he waited while Frank filled the other two and set the bottle on the counter, then handed one to his brother. Stepping back, Joe reclaimed his spot next to Vanessa, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close as Callie returned to Frank's side.

"To my brother and soon to be sister-in-law. Here's to a long, happy and very healthy life together," Frank raised his glass, as the others followed suit, "with lots and lots of children!"

"How about if we start with one and go from there," Vanessa suggested, suddenly realizing she could once again allow herself to fantasize about the family she and Joe hoped to have one day.

"Just remember, you'll have to keep up with us, right, Babe?" Frank briefly glanced at Callie before winking at Joe and Vanessa.

The others laughed but Callie froze at the comment. A strange look passed over her face before she forced a smile. It had gone unnoticed by Frank and Vanessa, but Joe did a double take, not sure he could trust his own eyes. Was that fear he'd seen on Callie's face?

Unobtrusively, Callie stepped back away from the group, not wanting to call attention to herself. Turning towards the balcony, she set the glass of champagne on the counter and slipped out the doors.

Glancing at Vanessa and Frank, Joe saw they were caught up in some discussion about whose children would be the bigger computer geeks. He decided his presence wouldn't be missed for a few minutes and quietly followed Callie outside. In the fading light he saw her, hunched over the rail, her slim shoulders shaking from the sobs she didn't want anyone to hear.

"Cal?" Joe said softly, not wanting to alarm her. "You okay?"

He heard a soft gasp, confirming she hadn't heard him approach. Callie turned away even further, keeping her face hidden as she tried to wipe away any trace of tears. "Fine. I'm fine," she answered, too quickly.

"If you're fine then why are you crying?"

"I-I'm just so happy for Vanessa – and you," she lied. "I'm a sucker for happy endings."

"Callie, those aren't happy tears," Joe tried again. After everything Callie had done for him and Vanessa over the past year, he wasn't about to let her suffer through whatever had her so distraught by herself.

"Really, I'm fine, Joe." She still refused to face him. "Go back inside. You and Vanessa have a lot of celebrating to do."

Joe stood his ground. "I'm not leaving you out here alone. Something is obviously bothering you. Have you talked to Frank about whatever it is?"

"No!" Callie exclaimed, aghast at the thought. She had attempted to talk to Frank about it several times, but always lost her nerve at the last minute, knowing it would break his heart.

"Then talk to me," Joe offered, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"I can't," she whispered.

"I know I was pretty drugged up at the time, but I do remember a conversation we had when I was in the hospital in Chicago," Joe reminded her, rubbing her back comfortingly. "You promised me if there was ever anything you couldn't tell Frank, you'd come to me. No more secrets, remember?"

Callie nodded mutely.

Joe gently turned her around to face him, taking in the look of absolute despair in her eyes. "Well…"

…

She looked up and stared at Joe for a long moment, remembering the tumultuous emotional roller coaster Keith Rashman's trial had been for him. Joe had almost slipped back into a deep depression before it was all over. Feeling torn, Callie had no idea what to do. She didn't want to be the catalyst that pushed Joe back into the debilitating darkness. Not now, when he and Vanessa were finally happy and had their whole lives ahead of them. Even though keeping her fears to herself was starting to eat her up inside, Callie's first instinct was still to remain silent. To share them with Joe would entail dredging up memories she knew were extremely painful for him.

"I can't, Joe. I don't want to upset you."

"Haven't you heard?" Joe said with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm a tough guy. Whatever it is, I can take it."

As Joe looked at her, his blue eyes filled with compassion, the overpowering need to tell someone finally won out. "Frank and I, we've always kind of fantasized about starting a family. How many kids we wanted, what we'd name them, what they'd look like…" she smiled wistfully, before the sadness returned and she stumbled over the words. "I… I'm not sure I want to have children anymore."

"What?" Joe blurted out, stunned. "Callie, you've always wanted children. What brought this on?"

"I still do want children. I just… I don't know if I can, in good conscience, bring a child into this world," she said softly. It had hurt to think of a future with no children; to admit the possibility out loud was close to unbearable.

"When did you decide this? And why?"

"In Chicago; during the trial." She looked at Joe tentatively, as if asking for permission to continue with a subject she knew was so painful for him.

He nodded encouragingly. "Go ahead."

"When we were in Chicago, something happened. Something… changed," she swallowed, drawing a shaky breath. "Hearing what you went through, even just part of it; watching you have to relive it every day and seeing what it did to you, what it did to your parents…" Callie stopped, her eyes burning at the memory of Laura Hardy sobbing in her arms, and Fenton Hardy so close to tears on the witness stand.

"It killed them to see you go through that and know there was nothing they could do to stop it. I don't think I could do that – be as strong as they were. And I don't know if I have the right to bring a child into the world knowing they could be kidnapped or beaten or _killed_ just because of who their father – or grandfather – is." Wiping her eyes, Callie looked at Joe sadly. "How many times has it happened to you or Frank over the years? I don't want my children to go through that. And the only way I know how to prevent it is to not have children at all."

Dropping her eyes, Callie stared at her hands, indicating she was done. Anxiously, she waited, wondering how Joe would respond.

…

'_Wow! Okay… You just had to ask…'_ Joe thought as Callie's 'confession' sank in. When he asked Callie what was bothering her, he had been tossing some possibilities around in his mind. He hadn't expected anything as intense – or emotionally charged – as this.

Thinking back to the trial, Joe was glad to find the pain had dimmed somewhat over the past two months. Apparently his concerted efforts to put it behind him and move on were beginning to pay off. He only hoped dredging up memories of the trial and it's effect on his family wouldn't set him back too much.

Unsure if there even was a right answer, Joe nevertheless plunged ahead, hoping he could convince Callie to reconsider the direction she obviously seemed to be leaning towards.

"Well, I can understand how seeing Mom and Dad's reactions to the trial – to me – could get you thinking in that direction. I know how hard it was for them; I saw the pain in their eyes every day." Joe stopped and nudged Callie, forcing her to look at him. "But do you really want to base such an important decision on that one incident? Don't you need to take all the facts into consideration before you can come to any kind of conclusion one way or another?"

"What do you mean 'all the facts'?" Callie asked, confused.

"When you met Frank, he and I had already decided we wanted to be detectives, just like Dad. We'd already solved a few cases on our own and even more with him," Joe pointed out.

"So?"

"Until Frank and I decided to seriously follow in Dad's footsteps, we never had any problems. There were no kidnappings, no ransom demands, no beatings." Joe couldn't help but be a little amused at what Callie had apparently imagined their childhood to be. "Our whole childhood was picture perfect – right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. If anything, we were in danger of being bored to death. Frank and I were never in any danger until we tried our hand at investigating."

Callie looked up at him doubtfully. "What about Joshua Tilghman?" she asked quietly.

"His men grabbed me because they thought I was an _orphan_," Joe reminded her. "Had they known I had parents who loved me more than life itself and wouldn't stop until they found me, they never would've given me a second glance. That had absolutely nothing to do with what Dad did for a living."

While Callie seemed to consider what he'd said, Joe noted she was not entirely convinced.

"Callie, unless your kids are some kind of prodigies and start investigating crimes before their first birthday, the chances of anything happening to them are slim to none. And really, what are the chances your kids will want to join the family business? More likely they'll want to be doctors or lawyers or…" Joe gave her a mock shudder, "…accountants!"

Callie laughed in spite of herself, wishing she had Joe's ability to find humor in the direst situations.

"And you can't base your decision on whether or not to have children on what's happened to me. Believe me, I'm the exception, not the rule. Let's face it, I take way more chances than I should and that usually lands me right smack in the middle of trouble – big trouble." Seeing he had Callie in better spirits, Joe continued with his monologue. "You know, Frank hasn't had half the 'fun' I've had, because he's so cautious. He thinks things through first. He knows when to keep his mouth shut. He's sensible and prudent and thorough…but not very exciting." Joe winked at her.

Callie laughed. "You know I love you, Joe, but I'll take cautious and sensible and prudent and thorough any day!"

"You know there's one person who could answer all your questions about this and give you all the facts you need."

"Who?"

"Mom. She's lived through it. Who better to ask advice from," Joe shrugged. "Promise me that when we get home you'll talk to her. I'd bet money that even if she knew then what she knows now, she still would have chosen to have children."

Callie stared at Joe amazed and very grateful. "Joe Hardy, you are wise beyond your years." She kissed him on the cheek, feeling much better.

Joe blushed. "Yeah, well don't spread it around. It's taken me a long time to cultivate the dumb jock image."

Standing up, Joe offered Callie his hand. "We better get back inside before our significant others think we've run off together," he cracked pulling her to her feet. "Let's go, Sis."


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you so much for the reviews. It's been a rough week. My dog, who is my baby, has had two surgeries and been in and out of the hospital since Wednesday. Hopefully he'll be home to stay tomorrow. Your reviews have given me reasons to smile in a week where I didn't have much to smile about. For that, I can't thank you enough!

Warning: This chapter contains nothing significant, plot-wise, but it does have pure, unadulterated Joe and Vanessa fluff. Lots and lots of fluff. I know every chapter should advance the story but I figured after everything I've put them through they deserved some fluff. If you really hate fluff (romantic fluff), you can skip this chapter and you won't miss a thing.

So there is fluff ahead! You've been warned. ;-)

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 9**

Vanessa closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into Joe's embrace. Leaning her head back against his chest, she sighed contentedly.

"Three," she said, smiling at the images in her mind.

"Six," Joe countered, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

Her eyes flew open. "_Six_?"

"Six," Joe repeated, pulling her closer. "Five boys and one perfect little girl…" He stopped and leaned down, brushing his lips lightly against Vanessa's bare shoulder, "…who looks exactly like her beautiful mother."

Vanessa felt herself flush and it wasn't from the steamy, bubbling water swirling around them in the hot tub. She tilted her head back so it rested on Joe's shoulder and stared into the brilliant blue eyes that could light up her whole world. Reaching up, she guided Joe's head down until their lips met.

Memories of the nights they would lie awake for hours, dreaming of their children and their future came flooding back and Vanessa found herself overwhelmed by her own emotions. Those dreamy late night ponderings had abruptly stopped one year ago, leaving a gaping hole in her heart and an even bigger one in Joe's; she was certain of that.

After a year of denying herself even the briefest glimpse of the life she and Joe had planned to build together, Vanessa was almost scared to give herself permission to start dreaming again. Scared she would wake up and suddenly find the nightmare hadn't ended after all.

As Joe reluctantly pulled away, Vanessa opened her eyes and knew it was real. The fear and uncertainty that had been etched on Joe's face for the past year, was gone. In it's place, peace and utter contentment. Vanessa smiled up at him. "Four. Three boys and a Daddy's girl."

"And we can negotiate for the other two?" Joe asked, with a twinkle in his eyes and a wicked grin on his face.

"Let the negotiations begin," Vanessa murmured, closing her eyes and guiding Joe's lips back to her own.

oooOOOooo

Callie stood in the kitchen, looking out the window onto the deck, the phone cradled against her ear. She smiled watching Joe and Vanessa in the hot tub, thinking they looked deliriously happy. Seeing Joe lean down and tenderly kiss Vanessa's shoulder, she turned away, suddenly feeling as if she were intruding on a very private moment.

Callie sighed heavily, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes, wondering how much longer she'd be on hold. Gazing around the cabin distractedly, her eyes landed on Frank and she smiled again. His brow creased in deep concentration and chewing on his lower lip, Frank was arranging a dozen red roses in a crystal vase.

Taking a step back, he critically assessed his work. Wrinkling his nose, Frank shook his head, mumbled something to himself and rearranged a few of the blossoms. Slowly he walked in a circle, eyeing the vase from all sides and then smiled, apparently satisfied. Picking up the vase, he walked into the living room and placed it in the center of the table that had been moved to a spot near the fireplace. Returning to the kitchen, he looked at Callie and spread his hands questioningly.

"Well?"

Callie rolled her eyes. "I'm still on hold." Seconds later she straightened up, apparently reconnecting with an actual human being on the other end.

"Yes? You do?" She nodded vigorously at Frank. "Yes, we'd like it. No, just for tonight." She paused and grinned in amusement. "No there's nothing wrong with our present accommodations, we'd just like to spend tonight at the lodge." Another pause. "No, just the two of us. The rest of our party will be staying here in the cabin tonight. Great! Thank you!" Callie hung up the phone and looked at Frank excitedly. "All set! Joe and Van will have the cabin all to themselves tonight."

"Perfect." Frank wrapped his arms around Callie's waist. "Dinner should be delivered in ten minutes or so. As soon as we get that set up, we can sneak out." Glancing out the window at the hot tub, he saw Vanessa pull Joe towards her for a very long and intimate kiss. "Think they've noticed we haven't joined them yet as planned?" Frank grinned.

"Hardly. As far as they're concerned the rest of the world doesn't even exist – at least for tonight."

"As it should be," Frank murmured. After all they'd been through in the past year, no one deserved that kind of happiness more than Joe and Vanessa.

oooOOOooo

Joe climbed out of the hot tub and extended his hand, helping Vanessa out. The two quickly scrambled inside, laughing at the shock of cold mountain air hitting warm, wet skin. Standing in the small foyer, Joe took Vanessa in his arms and kissed her tenderly. Several moments later, Vanessa pulled away breathless and blushing slightly. Using the towels hanging by the door, they dried off and donned the robes that had somehow magically appeared there while they were in the hot tub.

"Frank?" Joe called out walking through the entryway into the kitchen. "Callie?" He stopped and frowned, turning to Vanessa. "I wonder where they are."

Continuing on into the living room in anticipation of heading to the bedroom to change clothes before going out to dinner, they came to an abrupt halt. Staring into the living room, Vanessa gasped her eyes wide in disbelief. While Joe's expression initially matched hers, he seemed to recover more quickly than she did. "Callie strikes again," he said with a smile as he scanned the room.

The lights had been dimmed, a fire was burning in the fireplace and a table, romantically set with dinner for two, had been placed nearby. A dozen red roses in full bloom, nestled in a vase, stood in the center of the table, flanked by two burning candles. Approaching the table, Joe sniffed the flowers appreciatively and then picked up a folded piece of paper on one of the china plates and read it aloud.

Appetizers and dessert in the fridge. Dinner in the oven. We're staying at the lodge tonight. Enjoy the privacy!

Love, Callie and Frank

"That's so sweet," Vanessa murmured, resting her head on Joe's shoulder as she gazed at the crackling fire.

"Hey, I wanna know what we're having for dinner!" Joe headed for the kitchen, dragging a laughing Vanessa behind him. Pulling open the refrigerator door, Joe poked his head inside. "Wow! Oysters… and caviar! Where the heck did she find caviar in the mountains?"

"Let me see!" Vanessa playfully nudging Joe with an elbow. "Mmm, strawberries in champagne and whipped cream for dessert."

"And another couple bottles of bubbly." Joe grabbed one as he shut the door. Taking a few steps, he opened the oven door and peered inside. "Filet mignon, lobster tails, baked potatoes, vegetables, rolls…" he reeled off the tempting offerings and then straightened up, turning back to Vanessa. "And the whole place to ourselves all night."

Gazing around the kitchen, Joe spotted the champagne flutes drying on the counter. Picking up two of them, he held them up along with the bottle of champagne and stared at Vanessa.

"Why don't we relax in front of the fire for a while?" he said huskily.

Vanessa grinned seductively. "You read my mind."

Linking her arm through Joe's, she led him to the warm cozy blanket all ready spread out on the floor in front of the fireplace. As Joe uncorked the bottle of champagne and handed Vanessa a glass, he gazed at her in the glow of the fire as it finally began to sink in – they really did have their whole lives ahead of them.


	10. Chapter 10

I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. Sadly my beautiful, sweet, wonderful boy Rebel, was unable to recover from a severe infection and I had to make the hardest decision of my life on Wednesday to have him euthanized. He was suffering and while I know absolutely it was the best decision I could make for him, my heart is shattered. As one of the sympathy cards I got said – Sometimes the hurt is too big for words. I got him when he was five months old and it was just me and him for eight years. He was my baby, my best friend, my confidant and my protector and he literally went everywhere with me. Sometimes I even took him to work with me. We were inseparable and I miss him more than I can put into words.

Anyway, my heart just isn't in this anymore so I'm going to post a chunk of chapters at a time over the next few days until the entire story is up. Thank you so much for all your support and the wonderful reviews you have left for this story. Every single one of them was appreciated more than you know.

**Sleight of Hand**

**Chapter 10**

"Think we can go in yet?" Callie asked, snuggling against her husband to keep out the morning chill in the air.

Frank looked at his watch just as the scent of freshly brewing coffee floated out onto the porch. "Yeah, I think it's safe now," he smiled. Standing, he extended a hand to Callie, wrapping his arm around her as they went into the cabin.

After spending the night at the lodge, they had returned to the cabin early in the morning, only to find it unnervingly quiet, indicating Joe and Vanessa weren't up yet. Frank had then suggested they take an early morning hike in the event the younger couple weren't done _'celebrating'_ yet.

"Hey, it's about time you guys got here!" Joe grinned, as Frank and Callie shook off their coats. He was seated at the table sipping a cup of coffee, having just filled a plate from the assortment of breakfast goodies he and Vanessa had cooked up.

Studying his younger brother, Frank thought Joe looked so happy he just might explode. In fact, he could recall only one other time when he'd seen Joe quite so ecstatic – the day he and Vanessa had announced their engagement. Shifting his gaze to Vanessa who was at the counter pouring herself some coffee, he finally understood the term 'glowing with happiness'.

"We were here earlier," Frank said. "You weren't up yet so we left."

Joe winked at him. "Good thinking."

"TMI, little brother," Frank warned as he took a seat next to Joe. "So are you ready to get your butt kicked on the slopes today?" he continued, changing the subject before Joe could elaborate any further.

"HA!" Joe scoffed. "You're an old married man; you'll never be able to keep up with a young stud like me."

Frank rolled his eyes at Vanessa and Callie. "He's in rare form today."

"But he's right… at least about the stud part," Vanessa whispered in Frank's ear as she walked by.

"_Van_!" Frank scolded her. "That is way more information than I need to know about my brother!"

"Sorry." Vanessa grinned, unrepentant. She sat down at the table next to Joe and gave him a lingering kiss, before turning back to Frank. "I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that."

"Okay, you both got your digs in. Can we change the subject now?" Frank pretended to be miffed, secretly glad to see Joe and Vanessa finally returning to the unbridled playful teasing that had been sorely missed for the past year.

Frank's request was accommodated while they ate and less than an hour later the foursome were at the lodge. Callie waited with Frank by the ski rental office while Joe and Vanessa had a long, drawn out goodbye.

"You'd think they weren't going to see each other for months," Frank joked, watching them kiss and then separate, only to return to each other's arms for another kiss or two… or three.

"I guess they're still celebrating." Callie snuggled closer to Frank.

"I don't think that celebration will ever end… Finally!" he said, exasperated as Joe and Vanessa headed their way.

"Ready?" Joe asked his brother.

"Am _**I**_ ready?" Frank repeated and rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable."

Giving Callie a quick peck on the cheek, Frank grabbed Joe by the collar and pulled him away just as he was leaning in to kiss Vanessa once more. "Let's go, Romeo. The helicopter awaits."

After picking up their skis from the rental office, the two brothers walked outside to the waiting area where four other people were standing. Moments later, a shuttle pulled to a stop and they all piled on with Frank and Joe taking seats at the very back. As Joe sat staring out the window at the passing scenery, Frank sat staring at Joe. Slowly, Joe turned and looked at his older brother.

"You're staring."

"I know," Frank confirmed without elaboration.

"Why?"

"You look… different."

"More devastatingly handsome than usual?" Joe quipped.

"Better watch out, bro," Frank warned with a chuckle. "If your head swells too much you won't be able to get through the door and you'll be stuck on the shuttle all day."

Joe shrugged good-naturedly and returned his attention to the view out the window, but Frank frowned, searching for the word that eluded him.

'_Happy_?' He thought studying Joe, though not as blatantly as he had been. _'Of course he's happy!' _Frank chided himself. _'Content? Yeah he's content, but that's not it either…'_

"At peace," Frank murmured softly. It suddenly struck him that Joe – and Vanessa, too – had been wearing a cloak of sadness for so long now, that it had become a part of them. Now however, the sadness was gone, replaced by peace, happiness and contentment.

"You say something?" Joe asked absently, straining to gaze up at the mountain peaks as they passed by.

"No, nothing," Frank replied. He shook off the sadness _he_ now felt at the realization that Joe and Vanessa had been in living in a state of limbo for the past year, not entirely certain they should plan a future together.

'_That's all in the past,'_ he smiled as the shuttle pulled into a parking lot and stopped in front of a building bearing the name _Extreme Adventures_. A large helipad was visible in the far corner of the parking lot, with a pilot climbing into the helicopter that was parked there.

Frank, Joe and the four others were ushered into the building and then into a small conference room. There a tall young man in his late twenties, with dark hair and eyes, stood smiling while they all found seats.

"Good morning," he greeted them, "and welcome to _Extreme Adventures_! My name is Evan and my two buddies back there," he paused, pointing to two young men leaning against the wall at the back of the room, "are Troy and Gregg."

Troy looked to be about Joe's age with white-blond hair and sparkling green eyes. Gregg was several years older, with hazel eyes and brown hair with blonde streaks. Both nodded and waved at the small group.

"We'll be your guides today; one guide for every two skiers." Evan smiled again at the pleased murmur from the group.

Joe elbowed his brother, excitedly. "A two-to-one skier to guide ratio? Awesome!"

"Let's get all the rules, regulations and safety stuff out of the way first, okay? All of our guides are certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides and belong to the International Avalanche Association. The IAA uses a data-sharing system that helps us in making accurate assessments of snow stability, as well as educating us in avalanche science and rescue techniques.

"Our helicopter pilots follow a rigorous schedule of safety inspections and maintenance by their own engineers at our site. They have extensive mountain flying experience, have taken part in mountain training programs and have superb local knowledge," Evan continued.

"Pilots and/or guides report their location to the base station every half hour. The guides carry rescue, first aid, and backcountry survival equipment in their packs. In addition, rescue equipment, survival supplies and additional first aid supplies are carried in the helicopter. The base station is equipped with additional back-up supplies for field rescues as well as incidents that arise at or near the lodge. There are also completely equipped rescue caches in several different areas in the mountains.

"In the event of an emergency, your guides and pilots are trained in every possible scenario. The helicopter is used for transportation, perhaps for direct transfer to the hospital, or to a waiting ground transfer vehicle. So you can see, the pilots and guides work together to bring you the best and safest skiing experience possible." Evan stopped only for a moment, flashing a dazzling white smile.

"Let's try and avoid that kind of trip in the helicopter, huh?" Joe whispered to Frank.

"I think you need to concentrate on that more than I do," Frank warned, referring to Joe's penchant for impromptu risk-taking.

"Now onto the fun stuff!" Evan enthused. "We have incredible snow quality thanks to the dry, northern powder that falls in our area. As for the slopes themselves, you have your choice of wide-open alpine ridges and vast bowls surrounded by jagged peaks covered with sparkling deep champagne powder. These open runs average between 2100 and 3300 vertical feet. But for the more adventurous among you, _nothing_ compares to tree skiing!"

Frank stole a glance at Joe and could already see his eyes lighting up at the thought. _'Great, just great. He's gonna want me to go with him….I wonder if my life insurance policy is up to date…'_

"We have some deep valleys with naturally well spaced, mature trees and an abundance of snow that never fails to exceed the expectations of even the most demanding skiers."

Joe nudged Frank once more, practically bursting at the seams with excitement. "That would be us, bro!"

"Our most impressive tree runs are steep-pitched at over 3700 feet. In percentages our terrain is forty percent gentle, forty percent steep and twenty percent very steep," Evan informed the group.

"Very steep!" Joe leaned over to his brother, thumping him on the arm. "That's the one we want!"

'_I would have been perfectly happy skiing the black diamonds, but noooooo.' _Frank slumped down in his seat, throwing a mild glare in Joe's general direction. _'The adrenaline junkie here just has to find out what it's like to fly down thirty seven hundred vertical feet, dodging trees all the way… and taking __me__ with him!' _

"Now we _are_ expecting a snow storm this afternoon, but it's not scheduled to arrive until we're done so it shouldn't disrupt our day. Even so, with our tree line at around 5200 feet and some of our pick ups at 2400 feet, our guides can usually still find skiing possibilities during the most challenging conditions in these sheltered areas." Evan looked over the group as his smile grew. "So... are we ready?"

'_I'm gonna die today. I just know it,' _Frank mused following his brother out of the building to the waiting helicopter._ 'I'm gonna die…'_


	11. Chapter 11

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 11

As predicted, a light snow began to fall later in the afternoon just as Frank and Joe were walking back to their cabin from the lodge after an exhausting but thrilling day of skiing. When Frank had first stepped off the chopper at the mountain peak, he'd thought Joe was crazy and wondered again how he'd let himself be talked into something so inherently dangerous. However, after the first run, Frank found himself addicted to the 'rush' and by day's end he'd skied more runs than his younger brother, taking on one particularly difficult tree run even Joe wouldn't try.

"Man, I can't believe how awesome that was!" Joe exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I can't wait to tell Vanessa about it!" Spinning around, he walked the last few steps to the cabin backwards, facing Frank. "Hey, think we could do it one more time before we leave?"

Frank chuckled, reminded of a child pleading to go on his favorite amusement park ride one last time. "Maybe we can squeeze it in."

Climbing the steps to the cabin, Frank waited as Joe reached out to unlock the door and abruptly stopped. "I think we've got a problem, bro," Joe said in a hushed voice. He pushed on the door with one finger, watching as it opened wide. Cautiously, the brothers stepped inside, staring in disbelief.

The entire cabin had been ransacked with drawers pulled open and furniture overturned. Silently, Frank motioned towards himself and the stairs. Joe nodded in understanding and indicated he'd search the lower floor. Several minutes later they met back in the living room.

"Didn't look like anything was missing down here," Joe said puzzled.

Frank's dark eyes were almost black with anger. "And I only found one thing missing upstairs – my laptop."

Joe's eyes widened as Frank continued. "And I know that woman who fell into you is involved somehow! I'm going back to the lodge and find her. I want to get to the bottom of this once and for all."

"Want me to come with you?"

"No, stay here and clean this mess up before the girls get back." Frank turned and walked out the door.

Taking off his jacket and tossing it on the couch, Joe sighed and began putting the room back in order. A few moments later he heard the door open.

"Forget something?" Joe asked. Before he could turn around, Joe felt a hard object come crashing down on his skull. Dazed and seeing stars, he fell to his knees. Immediately he was grabbed, his arms pulled roughly behind his back and held in place as several punches were delivered to his midsection. Falling to his hands and knees once more, Joe found himself wincing and gasping for breath.

Stunned by the unexpected attack, Joe was quickly overpowered by the two men who had entered the cabin. He felt his arms being pulled forward this time as his hands were tied in front of him. Before he could get a good look at his attackers, Joe was blindfolded and then yanked to his feet.

Dragged outside into the late afternoon air, Joe was forced to walk through the snow. With no jacket on, he started to shiver. One man pushed him from behind while another pulled on the rope around his wrists, causing Joe to stumble several times. He finally ended up face down in the snow.

"You know this would go a lot easier if you two idiots stopped playing tug of war with me. I do know how to walk on my own," Joe muttered sarcastically as he was dragged up to a standing position.

One of the men yanked on the rope. "Shut up and keep walking."

"Where are you taking me?" Joe asked stumbling forward. "And why?"

The man behind Joe shoved him forward. "You talk too much."

"You'll find out where soon enough," the first man answered. "And you already know why…"

"Why don't you enlighten me anyway," Joe pressed, having no idea what the man was referring to.

His request was greeted with silence as he was pushed and pulled a while longer until he stumbled up several steps and was pulled to a stop. Joe heard the jangle of keys and a door opening. Another shove forced him through the open door. He was led to a chair and ordered to sit down. Finally, the blindfold was removed, although his hands remained tied tightly in front of him.

Joe blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the light. He gazed around his prison and found it was an old cabin that looked to be in the midst of renovations. He was seated in front of a small folding table, shocked to see Frank's computer on it, turned on and ready for use.

Looking up, he finally saw the two men who had grabbed him. The younger one was average height, with curly, light brown hair and hazel eyes that looked cold as ice. The older man was heavyset with dark, squinty eyes and a fringe of black hair.

"Log on and retrieve the file," the younger man ordered Joe.

Joe looked at him, confused. "What file?"

The larger man suddenly grabbed Joe by the front of his sweatshirt and yanked him halfway out of the chair. "Don't get smart, pretty boy. Find the file – now!"

"Ross." The first man put a hand on his arm.

With some reluctance, the man released Joe who fell heavily back into the chair.

"Look," Joe turned to the younger man. "I can't retrieve the file because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Come on, Carper," Ross said, eyeing Joe. "Leave me alone with him for two minutes…he'll be begging me to let him find it."

Joe sank back into the seat a little, thinking the man looked as if he were salivating at the thought what he wanted to do to Joe.

"Listen, Frank…" Carper said congenially, leaning towards Joe.

"I'm not-" Joe began, stopping almost immediately. _'They think I'm Frank!'_

His eyes narrowed. "You're not what?"

Joe turned to the computer. "Nothing, never mind." They obviously wanted Frank and if they realized the mistake they had made, Joe knew the men would go back to the cabin to correct the error.

Reaching forward awkwardly, Joe hoped he could guess Frank's password fairly quickly. He knew it was usually a combination of letters of the names of the people Frank loved, but before he could even start, Joe was grabbed and pulled to a standing position.

Ross reached into Joe's pocket and pulled out his wallet, tossing it to his partner. The younger man opened it and looked at Joe's license with disgust.

"_Joe_ Hardy?" he spat out looking up at Joe angrily.

"Damn, we grabbed the wrong guy!"

Carper stood eyeing Joe with a gleam in his eye. "You're his brother."

Joe remained silent, neither confirming nor denying the statement.

Carper shoved the wallet back into Joe's pocket. "Blindfold him."

Grabbing the blindfold off the table, Ross tied it tightly around Joe's eyes as Joe cursed silently, hating the feeling of being so helpless. Pulled to his feet yet again, Joe felt a length of rope being linked through the rope that already bound his hands together. Pushed from behind and pulled forward by the rope, Joe stumbled, falling to the floor before being dragged up by the rope. He bit his lip as the rope dug into the skin on his wrists as he was led forward several more steps before being pulled to a stop.

Listening intently, Joe heard something 'whooshing' in the air and another noise that sounded vaguely familiar but that he couldn't quite identify. Caught off guard, Joe gasped as his arms were suddenly and forcefully yanked over his head and stretched to the limit, his shoulders screaming in protest. He felt the panic begin as his feet started to leave solid ground when the pulling abruptly stopped.

Joe felt vulnerable, as he was now open, exposed and completely at the mercy of his captors. He shivered as he heard someone chuckle and felt a hand pat his chest, the normally friendly gesture taking on a sinister nature. Joe braced himself, preparing for a beating he knew would be painful. To his surprise, the two men walked away and then he heard Carper's voice.

"Now go get the real Frank Hardy. My new friend Joe and I will wait right here."

Joe listened to the door open and close as Ross left on his mission and couldn't decide if he felt better or worse knowing Frank would soon be joining him. He was worried for his brother's safety, but knew he couldn't get out of this mess on his own. Wincing at the tingling sensation in his fingers and achiness that had settled in his back and shoulders, one thought ran through his mind…

'_When you get here, I sure hope you'll have a plan, bro…'_


	12. Chapter 12

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 12

Callie studied Vanessa as the younger girl purchased yet another souvenir for Joe. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with a light that had been absent for a very long time. The corners of her mouth were perpetually turned up in just the hint of a smile. Vanessa, she decided, was the picture of happiness and contentment.

"You're staring," Vanessa stated, snapping Callie out of her daze.

"Oh, sorry," Callie mumbled, embarrassed at having been caught.

Vanessa took the bag the cashier offered her and headed for the exit. "Why?"

Callie smiled. "You look different…happy…"

Vanessa stopped short and turned on her. "I am," she said, practically glowing from within. "Joe and I can actually start planning a future again. Something _beyond_ the wedding. We haven't dared to talk about anything past the wedding or the honeymoon for a year, you know, just in case…" She shrugged.

"But that's all changed now," she continued excitedly as the two girls walked down the street gazing at the quaint shops. "Last night we talked about having children again - for the first time in a year. Joe wants six!" She rolled her eyes. "We sorta compromised on four but he's still pushing for two more."

Callie laughed. "Easy for him to say! He's not the one who has to carry them for nine months!"

"I pointed that out to him," Vanessa said dryly. "He told me a couple sets of twins - or _triplets_- would be fine with him!"

Callie smiled and listened as Vanessa rambled on, changing from once subject to another and then veering back to the first again. She had obviously been keeping a lot inside for the past year and Callie was more than happy to listen as Vanessa let it all come tumbling out in a rush of words, giggles and glowing smiles.

As they stepped into another shop and began browsing the aisles, Callie realized she didn't know if Laura and Fenton had been informed of the good news yet.

"Did you get a hold of Joe's parents last night?" Callie asked, absently thumbing through a pile of sweaters.

Vanessa nodded, suddenly pensive. "Mm-hmm." Her eyes welled up with tears as she turned to Callie and spoke softly. "Joe said his Dad cried when he heard the test was negative." Swiping away a tear, she picked up a royal blue fleece pullover with the name of the resort town tastefully embroidered on the left chest and scrutinized it intently.

'_I'm not surprised,'_ Callie thought, watching Vanessa. _'You stole a big piece of his heart when you gave Joe a reason to start living again.'_

Vanessa held it up for Callie to see. "Think Mr. Hardy would like this?"

"He'll love it."

After purchasing the pullover, Callie and Vanessa found a cozy restaurant with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains, to rest and refuel for the afternoon.

Callie took a sip of her drink. "So did Joe have any other specifics other than six kids?"

"Five boys and one girl. As if we have any control over that!" Vanessa gave Callie a sidelong glance. "And how many kids do you and Frank plan on having?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "And when are you going to start trying? I mean you've been married for a year and a half now. Aren't your Mom and Laura getting impatient?"

"We haven't really decided yet. And yes they are, so I don't need it from you too, okay?" Callie replied evasively. "So bring me up to date on the wedding plans. What do you still have left to do? And what do you need your matron of honor to help out with?"

While Callie felt much better after having spoken with Joe about her fears, she still had a few nagging reservations; reservations that wouldn't be completely resolved until she spoke to Laura Hardy.

Sitting back, Callie smiled, listening as Vanessa excitedly brought her up to date on the wedding plans, occasionally veering off into plans she and Joe were making for their future - a future that was now virtually guaranteed.

oooOOOooo

'_God my arms hurt!'_ Joe thought. The on and off achy feeling in his shoulders had long ago turned into a continuous throbbing pain that seemed to increase with each passing minute. The tingling pins and needles in his fingers had ceased, but only because they were now completely numb.

'_Why does this stuff always happen to me?' _he groused silently, staring into the blackness of closed eyelids. _'How come Frank never gets kidnapped and tied up like a stuck pig?'_ Joe fumed in frustration. _'I can't believe this! I wasn't even looking for trouble this time! Mindin' my own business, trying to have a nice vacation with Van. Next thing I know I'm hanging from the rafters like some super-sized piñata. Man, if this doesn't suck, nothing does…'_

Joe sighed heavily, shifting as much as his position would allow, trying to find something that resembled comfortable. Deciding it was a lost cause, he gave up and returned to his musings.

'_They thought I was Frank…idiots!_ _We're about as different as night and day, for God's sake! And where does that hot brunette fit into all this. I can't feel my fingers anymore… She and that laptop have to be at the center of all this. Man, she had incredible eyes… God my arms hurt…' _

oooOOOooo

Frank trudged up the porch steps feeling totally exhausted. The heli-skiing had been fun and exciting, but it was physically and mentally challenging. Returning from the adventure to find out their cabin had been broken into and his laptop had been stolen had fueled his anger and given him a shot of adrenaline. That had worn off about halfway through his hike back to the cabin, now leaving him tired and cold, and still very angry. After reporting the theft to Mr. Graves, the resort's manager, Frank learned that although she hadn't checked out, the mysterious woman hadn't been seen around the lodge in several days. Thoroughly disgusted, Frank had left a terse voice mail message for her before beginning the trek back to the cabin.

Opening the door, Frank stood in the doorway, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Despite Joe's promise to straighten up before Callie and Vanessa returned, the cabin was still in a shambles. Glancing around, Frank saw Joe's heavy jacket and gloves were still on the couch where he'd tossed them earlier.

"Joe?" Frank called out. The only response was silence. "JOE!" Still he got no answer.

Cursing, Frank reached for his cell phone only to be stopped by a click that sounded suspiciously like a gun being cocked.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Frank," a deep voice suggested.

"Where's my brother?" Frank demanded.

He heard a chuckle and felt the gun press against the back of his head.

"He's with my associate. But you're the one we really want."

"Fine. Take me to your associate and then you can let my brother go."

"Right." The voice chuckled sarcastically. "Now, I'm going to tie your hands and blindfold you. After I call my associate and let him know you've agreed to cooperate, we'll take a little walk."

Frank felt the larger man lean closer to him as he whispered, "And if I don't make that call, your brother dies. Understand?"

Frank nodded, and allowed himself to be blindfolded, knowing he'd have to comply for now. He was confident he could overpower the man, but he had no idea where Joe was or whether the man was bluffing about the phone call. Frank then submitted to having his hands tied in front of him and listened as his kidnapper placed the call, uttering four words.

"We're on our way."

Frank heard the phone click shut and then felt the rope binding his wrists tighten as he was dragged forward and out the door into the cold. Stumbling down the steps, Frank did a slow burn as he realized this man was going to drag him, tripping and slipping in the snow, all the way to their destination.

Initially, Frank tried to memorize the twists and turns they took, but soon gave up, finding he had to concentrate simply on maintaining his footing. He'd had no idea how challenging it was to walk without being able to see where you were going and vowed right then never to take the gift of sight for granted again.

He estimated forty-five minutes had passed when he was finally pulled up several steps and through a door into a building. The blindfold was roughly yanked off and Frank blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the fading afternoon light. Glancing around he saw a folding table with his laptop open and booted up sitting on top of it. An empty chair sat in front of the table. The rest of the cabin was empty, obviously in the middle of renovations given the exposed beams and wood, some old and rotted, some brand new. Frank then looked at the large man standing in front of him, blocking his view. "Where's my brother?"

The man didn't answer. He simply smiled and stepped aside giving Frank a full view of the small cabin. Frank blinked again and then gasped, his eyes widening in shock, as he realized he wasn't hallucinating.

In the center of the room, Joe was practically suspended in mid-air. A rope that led from Joe's wrists had been tossed over an exposed support beam that ran the length of the ceiling. It was pulled tight and anchored to another beam and tightly tied off, making it impossible for Joe to move more than a fraction of an inch in any direction. Joe was blindfolded and his arms were extended overhead in what looked to be a painful position; his feet were just barely brushing the ground.

'_He can't even move!'_ Frank thought, infuriated at how vulnerable Joe was in that position. His body was open and exposed to attack, with Joe completely unable to defend himself against any kind of assault.

"You okay, Joe?" Frank finally asked.

"So far," Joe replied calmly, although his never-fail gut instinct told him things were about to take a turn for the worse.


	13. Chapter 13

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 13

The young man who had been standing next to Joe now walked towards Frank, as the much larger man who dragged Frank through the snow took up a position by Joe's side.

"Your brother is fine so far." Carper smiled at Frank, who glared back at him. "And you can keep him that way. All you have to do is transfer the file the young lady installed on your computer onto the flashdrive. But do it quickly. Otherwise…" he shrugged, letting the word hang in the air ominously.

"Otherwise?" Frank repeated questioningly.

Without looking away from Frank, Carper nodded once. With no warning, Ross turned and punched Joe hard in the stomach.

Unable to see what was happening, Joe couldn't prepare for the painful blow. He gasped and fell forward, but was pulled to a sharp and sudden stop by the ropes holding him rigidly in place. Joe inhaled sharply as his shoulders screamed in protest.

"Joe!" Frank lunged forward to help his brother and immediately found himself face down on the floor with a gun pressed to the back of his head.

"Not too bright." Carper grabbed a handful of Frank's hair. Yanking hard, he pulled Frank's head up so he now had a clear view of his younger brother. He could only watch helplessly as Joe was hit with two more quick blows to the stomach.

"Stop!" Frank demanded, hearing Joe gasp painfully as the larger man wound up for yet another strike.

"Ross," Carper said simply, an apparent order for him to stop.

Ross glared at Joe and reluctantly relaxed his balled up fist, but remained glued to Joe's side.

"Now," Carper began as he literally pulled Frank to a standing position by his hair and shoved him towards the chair. "I suggest you transfer the file. You've got five minutes."

"Five minutes?" Frank cried out snapping his head around. Looking at Joe, who was still wincing from the unprovoked beating, he knew what would happen if he failed to find what the men wanted. "I need more time."

Carper leaned close to Frank and smiled coldly. "Tough."

'_Five minutes? I don't even know what the hell I'm looking for!'_ A thin sheen of sweat broke out on Frank's forehead as he turned all his attention to the computer and began searching.

"Four minutes…" Carper warned.

Frank swallowed hard, suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of files he'd amassed on the laptop in such a short period of time. _'Time…I need more time!'_

Rapidly scanning each folder by date, he frantically searched for anything that had been added in the last few days, painfully aware of each second that ticked by.

"Two minutes…"

Nervousness quickly gave way to desperation. _'Damn it! Where is it? __**What**__ is it? It's gotta be here somewhere!'_

"One minute…"

'_WHY CAN'T I FIND IT?'_

"Forty-five seconds…thirty seconds…"

"Please…I'll find it! I just need a few more minutes!" Frank implored, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"…twenty…fifteen…"

Frank felt the desperation morph into a full-blown panic.

"…ten…nine…eight…"

Chancing a glance over his shoulder, Frank saw Joe was mentally trying to prepare, knowing his reprieve was about to come to an end.

"…four…three…two…one…"

Frank jumped as he heard Ross hitting Joe with a continuous succession of punches. Frantically searching file after file, Frank tried to block out the sounds of his brother's muffled moans that eventually turned into outright cries of pain. Seconds later, Joe fell silent and the only sounds in the room were Frank's fingers on the keyboard and Ross' unrelenting attack, doling out punch after punch after punch.

Fearing Joe might be seriously injured, Frank felt he had no choice but to bluff. "Stop! I found it!" Frank cried out, to no avail as the beating continued. "Call him off!" Frank demanded, furiously.

"Enough," Carper ordered his colleague, finally stopping the relentless assault.

Frank stood and turned towards his younger brother, anger bubbling up from somewhere deep in his soul. Joe was still standing, only by virtue of the rope holding him upright. He was breathing heavily and in obvious pain. Frank took a step towards him only to be stopped by the sound of a gun being cocked dangerously close to his head.

"Cut him loose," Frank growled, his eyes ablaze.

The younger man nodded at Ross who turned towards Joe, a knife in one hand and a sadistic glint in his eyes. With a backward glance at Frank, he let loose with one last vicious punch.

"You son of a bitch!" Frank leapt at Ross. His head suddenly exploded in pain as the butt of a gun came crashing down into his skull.

Falling heavily to the floor, Frank saw stars dancing before him as his eyelids slowly fluttered to a close, refusing all his commands to stay open. As he was giving in to the darkness, Frank heard and felt a heavy thud several feet behind him, followed by an anguished moan.

'_Joe…'_

Fighting to stay conscious, Frank forced his eyes open and lifted his head, hissing at the pain. Only sheer willpower kept him from passing out as Frank looked over his shoulder, trying to find his brother. His eyelids drooped several times, encouraging Frank to rest, before Frank finally forced them open long enough to get a glimpse of Joe.

He lay on the floor, curled up in a ball, both arms wrapped around his midsection. The soft, pain-filled whimpers told Frank that at least Joe was still conscious.

'_Get up! You have to get Joe out of here!'_ Frank told himself harshly. _'I will…'_ he promised himself_. '…just let me rest a minute…'_

Closing his eyes, Frank promised himself it would only be for a minute or two. How could he help Joe when he could barely keep his eyes open, his now befuddled brain asked. Surely a minute or two of rest wouldn't hurt.

Just as Frank was about to give in to those enticing thoughts, he heard the sound of liquid splashing all around him. Wondering if he should even care, Frank sighed, inhaled deeply and was assaulted by a pungent odor that rudely snapped him awake.

'_Gasoline!'_

Screaming at his arms and legs to move, to push him up, Frank heard yet another unnerving sound – a match being struck, quickly followed by another.

'_Get up! Now! MOVE!'_ Frank ordered his uncooperative limbs, but they refused to listen to him, content to lay sprawled on the floor.

Suddenly Frank heard a loud _'whoosh'_ followed by snapping and crackling sounds. The temperature in the room grew hotter by the second. As the smoke and noxious fumes assaulted him, Frank cracked one eye open and watched in terror. Flames licked at the walls, hungrily devouring the exposed wood and beams. Pushing down the panic, Frank saw their escape – a very small path untouched by the fire, which led directly to the front door.

'_Gotta get Joe out…'_

Frank pushed himself to his hands and knees and immediately had to stop and regain his balance. Preparing to leverage himself to a standing position before the smoke got too bad, Frank took a deep breath and realized his mistake a moment too late. As the smoke invaded his lungs, he collapsed, coughing, wheezing and gasping for clean air. As his vision began to fade, Frank looked at his brother, motionless on the floor, and prayed for a miracle.


	14. Chapter 14

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 14

Callie smiled in amusement as she watched Vanessa juggle the multitude of bags she had acquired on their shopping trip. She stifled a laugh as the younger girl dropped one of the bags and then glared at it, blowing a lock of hair off her face in frustration.

"I'll get it," Callie offered, plucking the bag out of the snow. Straightening up, she closed the trunk of the car and turned towards the cabin. "Exactly how many of those bags are for Joe?" she asked teasingly.

"A few," Vanessa replied defensively, blushing slightly.

"You spoil him," Callie admonished as she climbed the three steps to the porch.

"And he spoils me even more," Vanessa countered with a superior smile, brushing past Callie. She stopped abruptly in front of the door and frowned, looking from her hands, overflowing with shopping bags, to the doorknob. With both hands loaded down with shopping bags, Vanessa had no way to open the door.

"Need some help?" Callie's voice was tinged with amusement. Reaching past Vanessa, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"Thanks," Vanessa mumbled, stepping inside. She stopped immediately inside the door and dropped the bags, staring open-mouthed at the sight before her. A sharp gasp let her know Callie was right behind her.

"Wait!" Callie hissed, grabbing Vanessa's arm as Vanessa took a step forward. "We don't know if anyone is still here," she warned, her eyes taking in the ransacked room.

"But Joe's jacket is on the couch," Vanessa pointed out, worry in her voice. "He must be here somewhere." She jerked her arm away from Callie and took a few steps into the room, concern for Joe currently outweighing her fears.

"Okay, but we go slow," Callie whispered. "And we stick together!"

Vanessa nodded mutely and made her way towards the back of the room, Callie's hand clutched tightly in hers. A thorough search of the cabin turned up no sign of Joe – or Frank. The two girls stood in the living room once again, staring at each other.

"Maybe they caught whoever was here in the act and went after them," Callie suggested.

"Why would Joe go out in this weather without a coat?" Vanessa countered. "It's freezing!"

"If he had taken off his jacket and then saw the guy, Joe would've chased him outside without even thinking of grabbing his jacket first," Callie stated. "You know, heat of the moment and all…"

Vanessa sighed. "True. Can we at least go outside and look around a little? See if we can track them down? If we don't find anything we'll come back and call the police."

Callie nodded in agreement and turned back to the door. Vanessa followed her out and pulled the door shut. Standing on the porch, the two girls scanned the surrounding area, which had been covered with a fresh blanket of snow thanks to the light, but steady, snow that had been falling all afternoon.

"There," Callie pointed, scurrying down the steps.

"Looks like more than two people," Vanessa mused studying the jumble of footprints in the fresh snow. "They lead into the woods," she followed the trail with her eyes. "Let's go."

Callie followed without hesitation, the two girls sticking close together. As they walked, Callie and Vanessa remained silent for the most part, stopping to scrutinize an area where it looked as if someone had fallen in the snow. They had been following the mish-mash of footprints for close to forty-five minutes, when Vanessa wondered aloud if they should head back and call in the authorities.

"Let's go for a few more minutes," Callie suggested. "There's an old cabin back this way. Frank and I saw it when we were hiking this morning. We peeked in through the windows; it looks like it's being renovated."

"Why would they…" Vanessa wrinkled her nose. "Hey, do you smell that?"

Callie stopped and sniffed the air, her eyes huge as she realized what it was. "Smoke!" she exclaimed. "Come on!"

She grabbed Vanessa's arm and the two girls ran as fast as they could through the snow. Several moments later, they emerged into a small clearing. Breathing heavily from the sprint over somewhat difficult terrain, they stared in shock at the small cabin, flames licking at the windows. Looking down they saw that the jumbled sets of footprints led directly to the cabin.

Running up the porch steps, Callie tried the door, a little surprised to find it unlocked. Pushing it open, she was hit with a wall of thick, black smoke and immediately began coughing. Stumbling back a few steps into Vanessa, she leaned over, hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath. Hearing Vanessa's muffled voice, Callie looked up and saw the younger girl had pulled the thick, heavy scarf up from around her neck so it now covered her nose and mouth. Following Vanessa's lead, Callie did the same, tying it securely. She then crouched down, peering inside the cabin.

Even though she was still outside, Callie began to sweat from the heat of the blaze. Squinting into the small structure, she heard someone coughing and gasping for air. Suddenly the smoke parted, only for a second but it was long enough.

"Oh, my God! _Frank!_"

Callie crawled into the burning building as fast as she could, with Vanessa right behind her. She arrived at Frank's side just as he pushed himself to his hands and knees, swaying slightly. As she and Vanessa reached for him, he batted their hands away.

"Help… Joe…" he began only to erupt in a fit of coughing. "…hurt." Frank coughed again, pointing behind him.

The girls peered through the thickening smoke in the direction Frank indicated. At first they saw nothing but as the smoke twisted and curled, looking for an outlet, it cleared briefly and they could make out the shape of a body curled up on the floor several feet away.

"_NO!_" Vanessa's muffled scream sent a shiver down Callie's spine.

Quickly Vanessa crawled to Joe's side. "Joe? Honey? Can you hear me?" she asked, shaking him, her voice muted by the scarf.

Joe moaned painfully, reaching out towards the sound of her voice. "Van?" he croaked. Taking in a breath, he started coughing violently, followed by a soft whimper as he curled up into himself even further.

"Come on, put your arm around my shoulder," Vanessa instructed him.

Joe tried to move, wincing and stopping immediately. "Can't…" he began, followed by more painful coughing.

"Joe, we have to get out of here…_now!_ Please," Vanessa begged him, momentarily dropping the scarf from her mouth, hoping Joe would hear the urgency in her voice. "Just put your arm around me."

Steeling himself, Joe did as ordered and Vanessa pulled him to his knees. Joe hissed in pain at the small movement, as the room suddenly began spinning in dizzying circles. Before he could recover, Callie was on his other side grabbing his arm, which was still cradling his stomach protectively, and pulling it around her shoulders.

"Sorry," came her muffled apology as Joe tried to choke back a pain-filled moan.

"On three," Vanessa ordered. "One-two-three." With more than a little effort, the two girls stood, hauling Joe to his feet. Immediately, their eyes began to burn from the smoke and fumes.

Now standing, Joe gasped loudly and began to cough again, intensifying the pain. He gagged as a wave of nausea washed over him. "Wait… Stop…" he begged as the room tilted on a crazy angle. Everything started to fade as Joe collapsed against the girls, who struggled to hold him upright.

"Come on, Joe, stay with us!" Vanessa barked, coughing as the thick smoke began to penetrate the scarf around her nose and mouth. Not waiting for a reply she dragged Joe towards the door, terrified he would pass out. If he were to lose consciousness, he would become dead weight and Vanessa wasn't at all sure she and Callie could support him without being dragged down themselves, let alone carry him outside.

Callie had often heard of people being able to do things in times of crisis they could never do under normal circumstances. She was absolutely certain she wasn't strong enough support Joe Hardy even with help, yet somehow she and Vanessa managed to half carry, half drag Joe the length of the cabin, out the door and down the porch steps. They continued on several yards, making sure they were a safe distance from the cabin before gently laying him down in the snow. Looking up, Callie saw Frank appear in the doorway, not too steady on his feet and clutching his laptop under one arm.

Scrambling to her feet, Callie rushed back up to the porch. Putting Frank's arm around her shoulder, she guided him away from the burning building and eased him to the ground next to Joe and Vanessa. Sitting down beside him, Callie looked back at the cabin just as the roof caved in, collapsing onto what was left of the burning structure.

"Joe." Frank's voice was hoarse and raspy from the smoke. Pushing himself up on one elbow, he turned and looked at his brother anxiously.

Just as he had been in the cabin, Joe was curled up in the fetal position, both arms wrapped tightly around himself. Despite the heat from the fire, his skin had a slightly ashen look, and his face was etched with pain.

Vanessa had been gently stroking Joe's hair and murmuring words of comfort, but she now looked up at Frank, pure anger in her blue-grey eyes. "Who did this to him?"

"Two guys. They wanted something on the computer," Frank replied, crawling closer to his younger brother. "Joe? Hey, you still with me buddy?"

"Yeah…fine…" Joe whispered, grimacing.

"Why didn't you give them whatever it was they wanted?" Vanessa demanded hotly.

"I tried, Van! I didn't _know_ what they wanted!" Frank yelled, wincing at the sound of his own voice and the way it dramatically increased the incessant pounding in his head.

"So you just let them beat him half to death?" Vanessa accused him angrily.

"Stop…fighting." Joe struggled to push himself up, but succeeded only in causing himself even more pain. "Oooooh…" he moaned and collapsed the few inches back into the snow.

"Enough!" Callie said fiercely, glowering at Frank and Vanessa. "We need to get Joe back to the cabin and get him some help and your arguing about who did what and why isn't helping!" she snapped. Immediately, Frank and Vanessa both flushed with embarrassment.

"Frank, can you walk on your own?" Callie asked, her voice softening and her brow creased with concern.

"Yeah, no problem," he replied gamely. His head was pounding but the cold, mountain air had revived him enough that Frank was certain _he_ could make it back to the cabin under his own power. Looking down at his brother's pale face, he wasn't so sure about Joe. "Did either of you bring your cell phone?" he asked, worried.

"No," Vanessa replied, silently cursing herself. "Mine's in my purse which is on the couch in the cabin."

"Mine too," Callie concurred.

Frank thought he saw Joe's lower lip start to quiver at the bad news. Was Joe hurt so badly that he was close to tears? Haunted by the images of Joe being beaten relentlessly because he couldn't find whatever it is the two men wanted fast enough, Frank felt his blood start to boil with rage. Staring at his brother, he blinked as Joe began to tremble.

'_Trembling…or shivering?' _Frank couldn't believe he didn't realize it sooner. _'He's not crying, his teeth are chattering…he's freezing!'_

The two men hadn't allowed Joe to don his jacket before forcing him from the cabin. He'd already taken off the heavy sweater he'd worn skiing and was now wearing only a t-shirt and a thin sweatshirt – no protection at all in the mountains in January! Knowing Joe would never ask, Frank quickly took off his own jacket and thrust it at Callie.

"Put this on him," Frank ordered. "He's freezing!"

Callie didn't argue, simply taking the heavy down jacket from her husband. "Joe?" She leaned over the younger Hardy. "We have to get you back to the cabin. Can you stand?"

Joe nodded in response, thinking he could probably make it to a standing position, though not at all sure he could remain there.

"Good. Vanessa and I will help you back to the cabin, so you just lean on us okay?"

Joe nodded and half smiled, half winced. "Good thing you've been lifting weights lately," he cracked. "I think I'm gonna need all the help I can get."

"And you'll get all the help you need," Vanessa assured him. "Ready?"

"No," Joe answered honestly. "But let's do it anyway."

Vanessa first helped him to a kneeling position and assisted him in putting on Frank's jacket, realizing how bad off Joe really was when he didn't even protest taking his brother's jacket and leaving Frank in the cold – literally. Once that task was accomplished, she and Callie flanked him on either side and, with fair warning, pulled Joe to his feet, this time giving him a moment to recover from the sudden jarring movement.

"Owwwwww…." Joe moaned as his badly bruised and very sore abdominal muscles vehemently protested the upright position. Squeezing his eyes shut he waited for the worst of the pain to pass. Tentatively opening one eye, he was glad to find the dizziness and nausea he'd felt earlier were gone.

"I'm good. Let's go," he murmured, leaning heavily on Callie and Vanessa.

The trek back to the cabin took twice as long, with Joe stopping to rest several times. Each time Callie eyed her husband critically, noting the way he skillfully hid the fact that he was freezing. During these stops, she would leave Joe's side and wrap her arms around Frank, holding him close and rubbing his arms and back to help him warm up. Callie also noticed that when they would resume walking once more, Joe was leaning on her less and less. Still, when they finally arrived at the cabin, Joe instantly curled up on the couch and closed his eyes. Vanessa sat on the floor next to him, holding his hand, whispering words of comfort and generally hovering.

After helping Frank to get comfortably situated in the armchair, Callie reached for the phone. "I'll call the lodge and see if they can get a doctor over here."

"No," Joe protested. "I'll be okay, no doctors."

"Joe, you need to let someone look at you," Vanessa said worriedly. "You could have internal injuries."

"I doubt it." Joe peered tiredly through one half-opened eye. "I feel better now than I did an hour ago."

Frank snorted. "An hour ago you were getting the crap beat out of you. No wonder you feel better now."

"I'm just sore, that's all," Joe assured Vanessa, ignoring Frank's descriptive assessment of his ordeal. "I'll be fine, I promise." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"I still wish you'd see a doctor," Vanessa grumbled. She glanced at the abrasions on his wrists, where the rope had rubbed the skin raw and shivered. Knowing even a minor cut could have serious repercussions for Joe should it become infected, Vanessa stood and fixed Joe with a steely gaze. "Well, I'm at least going to clean and bandage those cuts on your wrists – and don't even _think_ about arguing with me!" she warned him before heading upstairs to the bathroom.

Callie looked at Joe dubiously, figuring it was a lost cause and then turned her attention to Frank, phone still in hand. "What about you?"

"I agree with Vanessa – he should be checked out," Frank frowned at his brother.

Callie rolled her eyes. "I meant do you want to get that lump on the back of your head checked."

She had noticed Frank frequently reaching back to rub his head as they had been walking. That combined with the way he'd been swaying on his feet when he first emerged from the cabin, told her he'd taken a pretty nasty hit to the head.

Frank's eyes widened momentarily in surprise and then he grinned wryly. "No, I'm fine."

"Oh, sure. We find them barely conscious in a burning building and have to drag them out, but they're both fine," Vanessa said sarcastically as she returned to the living room, first aid kit in hand. "Can you say _STUBBORN_?"

"Apparently it runs in the family." Callie got some ice from the freezer and put it in a plastic bag.

"Well, don't pass it on to our kids!" Vanessa said harshly to Joe, who chuckled in return. Opening the first aid kit, she took out the items she needed and began cleaning Joe's wrists. Joe watched silently, knowing better than to even think about protesting.

Coming back to the living room, Callie sat on the arm of the chair next to Frank and gently held the bag of ice against the back of his head.

"OW!" he yelped, glaring at her. "Easy there, Babe, huh?"

"Do you need anything, Joe?" Callie offered, ignoring Frank's outburst.

"Nope. Got everything I need right here," Joe smiled up at Vanessa and winked.

Frank couldn't help but smile at Joe's response. He was still on cloud nine from the results of Vanessa's final blood test, and even being kidnapped, beaten and left to die in a burning building couldn't put a damper on that.

"So what was in that file that was so important they wanted to kill us?" Joe asked. Shifting on the couch, he sighed and smiled contentedly as Vanessa, now having completed her mission, sat on the floor next to the couch and repeatedly ran her fingers through his hair.

Frank shrugged. "Beats me. I never found it."

"What?" Joe's eyes flew open and he automatically tried to sit up. "Owwwwww…" he moaned, falling back against the soft cushions, cradling his stomach protectively. "That hurt," he pouted.

Frank grinned. "Then don't do it."

"What do you mean you never found it? You said you did."

"Well, yeah!" Frank snorted. "That guy was beating you to a pulp! If I didn't call their bluff, we'd still be in that cabin and you'd be…" Frank trailed off.

"So what exactly did you give them?"

Frank shrugged. "My expense reports for last year."

Joe cracked one eye and looked at his brother with a mixture of admiration and disbelief. "Your expense reports?" Joe smiled and then slowly began to chuckle. Quietly at first but it quickly turned into full-blown laughter, with Callie and Vanessa joining in. "OWWW! Ow, ow, ow!" He clutched at his stomach, still sniggering. "Don't make me laugh; it hurts."

Frank stood slowly, testing his equilibrium. Feeling much steadier on his feet, he walked to the table where he dropped his laptop and carried it back to the chair. Booting it up, he focused on the screen and began a more methodical search for the elusive file.

For the next half hour the room was fairly quiet, Joe and Vanessa's whispered murmurings mixing with the sounds of Frank working the keyboard. Finally snorting in disgust, Frank returned the laptop to the small desk and glared at it with contempt. "I can't find a thing on there!" he complained, running a hand through his dark hair in frustration.

"Want me to try?" Vanessa offered.

Frank was about to answer when a knock on the door brought all conversation to a halt. Frank looked at his brother questioningly. Joe shrugged, indicating they had no choice but to answer, since it was obvious they were there. Cautiously, Frank walked to the door.

"Who is it?" he asked suspiciously. After everything that had happened in the past few hours, he wasn't about to open the door to just anyone.

"An old friend," an eerily familiar voice replied.

"I must be hurt worse than I thought," Joe muttered, "because that sounds just like-"

Frank pulled back the curtain just enough to peer out. "It is. The question is what is he doing here?"

"Only one way to find out," Joe stated. "Let him in."

With a resigned sigh, Frank pulled the door open and found himself face to face with Arthur Gray.


	15. Chapter 15

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 15

Pulling the door open, Frank stepped aside allowing Arthur Gray to enter. The Gray Man stood visually sweeping the room, his eyes stopping on Callie and Vanessa.

"Good evening, ladies. I'm so sorry to interrupt your vacation." He shifted his gaze to Joe and smirked. "Run into a little trouble?" he observed, taking in Joe's slightly pained expression, as he lay stretched out on the couch.

"If you call being used as a punching bag running into a little trouble, then yeah, I did," Joe replied dryly, absently rubbing his sore stomach. He grinned to himself, noting the way Vanessa had stiffened at Gray's callous teasing. _'Better watch yourself, Gray,'_ he thought glancing from Vanessa to their guest. _'She's still in protective mode. All fired up with no one to take out her anger on.'_ Joe bit back a smile, thinking a tongue lashing from Vanessa would bring Arthur Gray down a notch or two. _'…or ten.'_

"And why do I get the feeling you know exactly _why_ our new friends found it necessary to use Joe for boxing practice," Frank mused, interrupting Joe's fantasy. Crossing his arms over his chest, Frank leveled a piercing stare at the Gray Man.

"That's on a need to know basis and you don't need to know," he replied moving towards the computer.

While Arthur Gray was fast, Frank was a little faster. "Guess again," he snapped, folding down the laptop and standing in front of it, before Gray could touch it. "Those two goons kidnapped my brother, beat him up and left both of us to die in a burning cabin," Frank snarled, his eyes flashing with anger. "If you think you're going to get anywhere near this computer, then I need to know."

"When did he develop such a temper?" Gray asked looking at Joe.

Joe smiled sweetly. "I've been coaching him. And you know what a perfectionist he is when he's learning a new skill. I wouldn't challenge him if I were you," he couldn't resist taunting the Network agent.

"Fine." Gray looked pointedly at Callie and Vanessa, who glared back at him.

"They stay," Joe shot down his silent request for the girls to leave the room.

Arthur Gray sighed, suddenly reminded why he didn't always welcome the Hardys' help on Network cases. "May I?" he asked Frank's permission, before taking a seat in the desk chair.

Frank nodded once, but remained silent, still blocking Gray's access to the computer.

"I'm not sure I like this new side of you," Gray muttered, slightly uneasy at Frank's brooding silence.

"Tough. Start talking," Frank ordered.

"The Department of Defense has recently added a new tool to its defense arsenal. It's still in the experimental stage, and may not be ready to unveil for years. But once all the kinks are worked out, it could make waging war against our armed forces an effort in futility."

"Sounds like something off the SciFi channel," Joe cracked.

"Don't laugh," Gray cautioned. "We have the best scientific minds in the world; you'd be amazed at the things they're working on."

"Right now I only care about the thing that almost got us killed," Frank interrupted, determined to find out exactly what was going on.

"It's a new alloy."

"An alloy?" Frank stared at him in disbelief. "We almost got burned to a crisp over a…a… _piece of metal_?"

"It's a very special piece of metal, Frank. The R&D people at the DoD have been able to create a new alloy that can block anything – bombs, rockets, grenades, surface-to-air missiles… you name it," Gray explained, hiding a smile at the confused looks being exchanged between Callie and Vanessa at the acronyms. "It's still in the very early stages of development but so far it's been virtually impenetrable."

"Hold on," Joe shook his head, skeptically. "You expect us to believe they've created some kind of material that can cover an F-16? Or a stealth bomber?"

"Sort of," Gray replied. "As I said, it's still in the experimental stage. It will take years of testing to determine if it's even feasible to use it in that manner. It may turn out to be prohibitively expensive, or too heavy to use on aircraft carriers or fighter jets and the whole project may have to be terminated. However, if the tests have positive results, it's hoped that this alloy could be used to actually _build_ the F-16's, the stealth bombers, etcetera."

Frank listened and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He'd learned long ago to not to question anything the Gray Man said and simply accept it as fact, no matter how far-fetched it seemed. Something Joe still had trouble with on occasion, this apparently being one of them. He noticed Callie and Vanessa both seemed to share Joe's skepticism.

"Once word got out about it, no one in the world would dare challenge the U.S. Military again," Frank observed. "It would be suicide."

"Exactly," Gray confirmed.

"But apparently word has _already_ gotten out?" Frank guessed. "And possibly the formula along with it?"

"Unfortunately, not everyone is immune to the lure of easy money," he answered somewhat cryptically, "no matter how high their security clearance." He pulled out his wallet and removed a picture, handing it to Frank. "She worked in R&D. Somehow word of the project leaked out and she was approached by foreign interests."

"Look familiar?" Frank asked holding the photo out for Joe to see.

"Man, you can't trust anybody these days," he snorted, looking at the pretty young woman who'd fallen into him three days earlier at the lodge, starting the whole chain of events. "So where is she now? In custody?"

"No. She hasn't checked out of the lodge but she hasn't been seen in three days either. My guess is she's dead," Gray told them as easily as if he were relating the latest weather report.

Callie looked at Vanessa and shook her head in disbelief at Gray's obvious indifference to the young woman's probable demise.

"Apparently, she agreed to sell it to the gentlemen you met today for thirty million dollars," Gray continued nonchalantly. "Sometime after that, she was approached by another interested party who offered her fifty million."

"A bidding war," Frank stated, disgustedly.

"Right. She arranged to meet the highest bidders here but the people who originally contacted her got wind of it," he continued the story. "She recognized them in the lobby the same day you were checking in. As usual, you two just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Gray said acerbically.

"Yeah, we have a knack for that," Joe agreed a little too cheerfully for Frank's liking.

"She saw your case looked exactly like hers," Gray nodded at the black case lying on the floor next to the desk. "She purposely bumped into you," he glanced at Joe, "and switched the cases. That night she transferred the plans from her computer to yours and returned it to you the next day. She intended to turn her computer over to the first bidders, banking on the fact that they'd take it and leave. Since they were just couriers, she knew they wouldn't really be able to tell if the program was on there or not.

"Then she planned to seduce you and convince you to bring her back here for a tryst," Gray was focused on Joe again, interrupted only by Vanessa's snort of, _"Over my dead body."_

"After your little rendezvous, she planned to take the computer on her way out. If that failed," he said diplomatically, hiding a smile at Vanessa's reaction, "she planned to break in here and simply steal the computer, then turn it over to the higher bidders. Unfortunately, when her original buyers saw her switch the computers the day you checked in, they assumed _you_ were her contact," he nodded at Joe.

"That's why they grabbed me _and_ the computer," he surmised. "They figured I could find the file and give it to them. Once they knew they had the real thing, they could kill me and take it back to their superiors – _and_ save millions of dollars in the process."

"You don't have to sound so blasé about it," Vanessa frowned at him, still miffed that this woman thought she could lure Joe away from her so easily.

"All in a day's work, Babe," Joe winked.

"You're supposed to be on vacation," Vanessa reminded him tersely.

"Wait a minute, how do you know she didn't copy this program and hide it somewhere, just in case?" Callie finally spoke up, having digested all the information. "As insurance or to sell it to someone else later on."

"She couldn't," Gray said simply. "Safety feature. The file can be transferred from one computer to another or onto a disc, but it can't be copied."

"So the one on my computer is the only one in existence?" Frank asked, dumbfounded.

"Well…yes," Gray answered, embarrassed. Turning to face the elder Hardy, he pulled a flashdrive out of his pocket. "So now you know why it's imperative I get it back…now."

Frank stepped out of the way, finally allowing the Gray Man access to the laptop. "I have one little question," Frank said, as he watched Gray search for the file in question. "Once the bad guys realize I gave them nothing but my expense reports for all of last year and that Joe and I are still alive, what's to stop them from coming back here to get what they want?"

Watching over the older man's shoulder, Frank saw why he couldn't find the file. When it had been transferred to his computer, the file extension had been 'hidden', making it impossible for him to find it no matter how hard he searched.

"We'll leak it out through our informants that the program has been successfully recovered by the DoD. Since they know there is only one copy and it's now back in government hands, they'll realize there's nothing you can do for them." With a grunt of satisfaction, he closed the file and removed the flashdrive from the computer. As he reached for it, Frank's hand flashed out, snatching it from his grasp.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gray demanded, angrily.

"Bargaining," Frank replied, firmly. "How can we get in touch with you…just in case."

"There won't be any 'just in case'," Gray insisted, holding out his hand for the disc. "So you won't need to get in touch with me. I just told you I'd let it leak out, tonight, that we recovered the drive with the program on it. Don't you trust me?"

Joe rolled his eyes and snorted in reply. Frank glanced from his brother to the Gray Man. "Does that answer your question?" he smiled icily. "Now what's your cell phone number… and I do mean _yours_, not your secretary's."

Gray sighed. "I think I liked you both a whole lot better when you were still in awe of me and never questioned my orders."

"Just for the record, we were never in awe of you," Joe informed him, ignoring the dirty look Gray threw his _way. "_And we never questioned your orders because we were too busy _ignoring_ them."

"He's really starting to work my nerves," Vanessa muttered under her breath.

"You wanna go a couple rounds with him?" Joe teased.

"Can I?" Vanessa grinned.

"Van, is your cell phone handy?" Frank asked, interrupting their teasing.

"Right here," Vanessa pulled it out of her purse.

"Dial this number…202-555-8618." Frank repeated the number the Gray Man had given him.

"This is unbelievable," Gray muttered, pulling out his cell phone in anticipation of the call; several seconds later the phone chirped. "Hello?" he answered, smirking at Frank.

"Hi, I'd like to order a pizza," Vanessa deadpanned. "And I'd like it delivered."

Snapping the phone shut and shoving it in his pocket, Gray turned and glared at Joe. "She's perfect for you."

"I know," Joe grinned, high-fiving Vanessa.

"Are you satisfied?" Gray asked, returning his attention to Frank.

"I suppose," Frank said warily, finally turning over the flashdrive.

Pocketing the top-secret information, the Gray Man looked from Frank to Joe. "As always, it's been a pleasure," he remarked dryly.

"Easy for you to say," Joe winced, pushing himself to a sitting position.

"Just make sure that information gets leaked _tonight_," Frank demanded as he accompanied the Gray Man to the door. "I don't want a repeat performance of what happened today. I mean we _are_ here on vacation."

"It'll be out in the pipeline before midnight," Gray assured him and then turned to Vanessa and Callie. "Ladies, enjoy the rest of your vacation. Goodnight."

As quietly as he had arrived, the Gray Man was gone.


	16. Chapter 16

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 16

Vanessa stared at the door as it closed behind Arthur Gray and scowled. "I really don't like him," she announced to no one in particular. "He's rude… and arrogant."

"And he teased Joe," Frank supplied helpfully, knowing that had more to do with Vanessa's opinion of the Gray Man than anything else.

Vanessa nodded her displeasure. "That too."

"Do you think he'll really let it be known he got the file back? And that he'll do it tonight?" Callie asked.

"Probably." Joe pushed himself up to a sitting position. He grimaced, rubbing his sore midsection. "He can be a pain in the ass, but stuff like that… if he says he's going to do it, he will. Now, what's for dinner? I'm starving."

"Proof positive that he really _wasn't_ seriously injured," Frank joked.

Callie looked at Vanessa questioningly. "Can we whip up something for dinner with what's in the kitchen? These two don't look like they're up for a night out."

Vanessa looked from Joe, who was sitting on the couch resting his head back, eyes closed with one hand lying protectively on his stomach to Frank, who was massaging his temples. He appeared drained and slightly dazed. "They do look kinda pathetic, don't they?"

"Hey," Joe said defensively, but not bothering to open his eyes, "we had a few unexpected adventures today. We're allowed to look pathetic."

Frank simply grunted in agreement, suddenly too tired to actually verbalize what he was thinking.

"Let's see what we can scrounge up to feed them," Callie said to Vanessa. "Maybe it'll revive them enough to watch a movie or two."

oooOOOooo

Callie's prediction was fairly accurate, and after dinner was consumed and the dishes were loaded into the dishwasher, the foursome retreated to the den. With the task of building a fire in the fireplace completed, Frank stretched out on the couch, resting his head contentedly in Callie's lap.

Vanessa rounded up several large cushions from the couch in the living room and arranged them on the floor in front of the large-screen TV. Laying a blanket down, she then settled herself against the cushions and crooked an inviting finger at Joe, who was only too happy to join her. Stretching out next to Vanessa, Joe laid his head on her shoulder.

"Whoever's got the remote…you're on," he said lazily.

"Let the killing of innocent brain cells begin," Frank joked.

After much discussion over dinner, Joe had been allowed to choose the first movie, with Callie and Vanessa selecting a second movie. Frank immediately predicted Joe's choice would be filled with car chases, fight scenes, women in skimpy clothes and a non-existent plot that served only to render perfectly healthy brain cells useless.

"You're just jealous that you don't have my considerable powers of persuasion," Joe smirked.

"You mean your ability to whine incessantly, wearing down your opposition until they cry uncle and let you have your way?" Frank asked.

"Whatever works," Joe said smugly, as the movie began.

With Frank providing his own personal commentary throughout the movie, it went by much faster than he had anticipated. As the girls' choice, _The Wedding Planner_, began, Frank couldn't help but be reminded of the seemingly endless details he had assisted Callie with when planning their wedding. Inspired by the movie, Frank couldn't pass up the opportunity to needle Joe about the extent of his involvement in the planning of his own wedding.

"You know, Joe, since you guys don't have a wedding planner, you need to help Vanessa out with _all_ the details," Frank pointed out, with a grin. "You really can't expect her to do it alone."

"So you keep telling me," Joe remarked. "What makes you think I'm not helping?"

Frank snorted with laughter. "Yeah, right! I can just _see_ you spending Sunday afternoons picking out invitations, poring over seating charts and meeting with florists!"

"I'll have you know I have everything under control," Joe replied confidently. "I've got a list!"

Frank stared at his brother, shocked. "You made a list?"

Joe chuckled and looked up at Vanessa teasingly. "No, Vanessa _gave_ me a list." He winked at her as she reddened slightly. "It tells me everything I'm supposed to do from six months before the wedding right up to the big day."

"Does it tell you to show up at the church on time?" Frank laughed.

"Nope. Not on my list," Joe eyed Frank. "It's on _yours_!"

"Mine?" Frank exclaimed, now laughing out loud. "I have a list, too?"

"Yep, she's got a list for _everybody_." Joe tugged on Vanessa's hair playfully. "And on the Best Man's list it says '_provide groom's transportation to the ceremony_'. So if I'm late, it's all your fault, bro! Think you can handle the responsibility? "

"I'll do my best," Frank said dryly.

"Just ignore them, Van," Callie advised her friend, who was now blushing furiously. "There are hundreds of details involved in planning a wedding – you can't be expected to remember _all_ of them."

"Spoken like someone who hasn't gotten their list yet," Joe grinned. "I hope your writing hand is all warmed up – according to _your_ list, Matron of Honor, you have to help address the invitations!"

"Hate to break it to you, champ, but you're supposed to help with that too!" Frank informed his brother.

Vanessa shook her head vigorously. "Oh, no, he's been absolved of that task. We do want the postal service to actually be able to _read_ the names and addresses! He's not allowed near the invitations," she said adamantly, referring to Joe's often illegible handwriting. She then shrugged and grinned at the good-natured teasing. "What can I say; I found this great website that had lists you could print off for just about everybody involved in the wedding. I figured they couldn't hurt." Vanessa poked Joe emphatically. "Especially for you!"

"Good thinking, Van!" Frank agreed. "So what's on your list, Joe?"

"First thing on my list is '_select your best man'_. I did that a year ago, so I'm way ahead of schedule! And at one week before the wedding, the list gives me explicit instructions to '_attend bachelor party'_." Joe raised his eyebrows at Frank suggestively. "I promised Van I would do everything on the list, so don't forget to _plan_ the bachelor party, okay? And keep in mind the awesome bachelor party I threw for you."

"How could I forget," Frank chuckled. "It's almost two years later and people are _still_ talking about it."

As the conversation died down, Joe attempted to focus on the movie, knowing it was one of Vanessa's favorites. Snuggling comfortably into her embrace, Joe found the day's events had finally caught up with him. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but with no action packed-fight scenes or dizzying car chases to capture his attention, Joe was soon fast asleep.

A while later, as the movie came to a close, Vanessa glanced down at Joe and then at the clock on the mantle. _'10:25…he's usually just getting warmed up!'_ she thought affectionately.

"If people could only see the hard-partying Joe Hardy now," Frank cracked as if he knew what Vanessa had been thinking.

"Hey, he had a rough day," she defended her sleeping fiancé. Leaning down, she kissed his cheek and gently shook him. "Joe. Come on, hon, let's head up to bed."

"Sounds good to me," Joe mumbled, barely awake. Pushing himself to a sitting position, Joe winced and rubbed his stomach. Accepting Vanessa's outstretched hand, Joe allowed her to pull him to his feet. "Night," he yawned, with a halfhearted wave at Callie and Frank as he and Vanessa disappeared up the stairs.

"You had a pretty rough day, too," Callie reminded her husband. "Are you ready to turn in?"

Frank sighed contentedly. "Uh-uh, I'm happy right where I am. We can go up after the news," he said, enjoying Callie's undivided attention.

Despite his best intentions to stay abreast of current events, Frank was sound asleep before the news even began. Not wanting to disturb him right away, Callie waited until the news was over before gently shaking him awake.

"Frank, the news is over…time for bed."

"Huh? What?" Frank blinked sleepily and then smiled sheepishly. "That's what I get for teasing Joe, huh?"

"You both had a pretty exhausting day," Callie replied as she stood up. "Go on up. I'll turn off the lights and make sure everything is locked up. I'll be right behind you."

"You sure? I can do that," Frank began. Cut off by a huge yawn, he suddenly wondered if he had the energy to make it up the stairs.

"Mm-hmm." Callie pulled him up and gave him a little shove towards the stairs. "I'll be up in a minute."

With another yawn, Frank dragged himself up the stairs and down the hall to their bedroom. He stumbled into the room and flopped face down across the bed. Exhausted from the strenuous skiing with Joe, all the hikes back and forth to the lodge and through the woods, and almost getting knocked unconscious, Frank immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Downstairs, Callie turned off the lights in the kitchen and started towards the door to check the lock. As she passed by the large front window, she stopped and frowned. The headlights on Frank's car were on.

"They should have gone off automatically," she murmured to herself.

With a resigned sigh, Callie picked up the keys and steeled herself to leave the warmth of the cabin for a quick foray into the near zero temperature. Opening the door, she hurried to the car and slid behind the wheel. Squinting by the dim overhead light, she finally located the correct knob and pushed it in. As the lights went off, she got out of the car and relocked it, reminding herself to ask Joe to check it out in the morning.

Wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the bone-chilling cold, Callie started back towards the cabin. She had barely gone two steps when she felt a strong arm grab her around the waist, as a second hand covered her nose and mouth with a damp cloth.

Struggling to get free, Callie tried to scream for Frank. Instead, she inhaled the sickly sweet smelling liquid. Seconds later, the keys fell from her hand. One thought flitted through her mind as her eyes slid shut…

'_Frank…help me…'_

Callie collapsed, unconscious, into the arms of the man who had grabbed her. He easily lifted her petite frame and disappeared into the darkness.


	17. Chapter 17

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 17

The intermittent crackle of the fire slowly roused Callie from her sleep. Feeling the warmth radiating from the fireplace, Callie vaguely wondered why she had chosen to sleep on the couch in the den instead of joining Frank upstairs. Opening her eyes, she stared at the flames dancing over the logs for a few seconds before it registered that this was _not_ the fireplace in the den.

Gripping the blanket that had been draped over her, Callie recalled the strong arm around her waist, the damp cloth and the smell of chloroform. She cursed herself for falling right into a trap – the headlights on Frank's car had been turned on for the sole purpose of luring her out of the cabin. She gasped, suddenly remembering the Gray Man's remark about the young woman who had initially stolen Frank's laptop.

_"My guess is she's dead."_

Knowing without a doubt she had been kidnapped by the people who had killed the desperate young woman – the same people who had tried to kill Frank and Joe - she clutched the blanket even tighter as if it could offer her some protection from them.

"You're awake."

Callie jumped at the sound of a voice, having thought she was alone in the room. She craned her neck slightly in the general direction of the speaker and saw a young man seated in an easy chair, watching her. He folded up the newspaper he'd been reading and tossed it on the floor. Rising from the chair, he crossed the room and sat cross-legged on the floor next to the couch.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

Callie nodded once in response as she pushed herself up and looked around. Aside from the couch she was sitting on and the chair her 'guard' was using, all the other furniture was covered, as if the occupants were going away for an extended period of time. Glancing out a window, Callie saw it was still pitch dark outside. The soft glow from the fire and the dim light near the chair provided the only light in the room.

Pulling her legs into her chest, Callie wrapped her arms around her knees and huddled into the corner of the couch, staring at the young man. "Who are you? And why did you kidnap me?" she demanded, hoping she sounded braver than she felt.

A smile danced in his hazel eyes, as if he found Callie's false bravado rather endearing. "Tom," he replied. "And you are…"

"You go around kidnapping people and you don't even know who they are?" Callie snapped, feeling a little indignant that this man didn't even bother to learn her name before grabbing her. "How do you know you've got the right person if you don't know who I am?" she challenged him.

"I know you're Mrs. Frank Hardy," Tom answered. "Which means you are _very_ important to him."

"He doesn't have it," Callie said. "That file that's so important to you, you'll kill people for it. He doesn't have it anymore. The government sent someone to pick it up – so you've kidnapped me for nothing. Frank can't help you."

Tom smiled, deciding he liked this young woman's spunk and wondered if Frank Hardy appreciated it as much as he did. "I know he doesn't have it anymore. But I'm gambling that he loves you enough to get it back. Once he does, we set up a meeting, he gives me the file, I let you go and everybody goes home happy."

Callie couldn't help but roll her eyes in disgust. "That only works if you honestly think we're stupid enough to believe you'll just let us walk away."

'_Pretty __**and**__ smart,'_ Tom thought appreciatively.

"You already tried to kill Frank once, when you thought you had what you wanted. Joe, too. Committing murder to get rid of witnesses obviously doesn't bother you, so why would you suddenly decide to let us go?" Callie pushed.

Tom stood and shrugged, giving her half a grin. "There's a first time for everything. Go back to sleep. We'll give Frank a call in the morning." Tom returned to the chair, picked up the newspaper and resumed his reading.

oooOOOooo

Sunlight streamed in through the windows, the partially closed curtains ineffective against its bright reflection off the snow. Frank squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, hoping to block out the strong rays of sunshine that seemed to easily penetrate his closed eyelids.

"Oooh…ow…" he mumbled into the bedspread. A mild but relentless pounding had started in his head sometime during the night and showed no signs of letting up just because morning had arrived.

Reaching out, Frank patted the spot next to him, frowning when he felt nothing. Stretching a little farther, he groped around for a few more seconds. Feeling nothing but an empty bed, Frank lifted his head and looked around.

"Callie?"

Sitting up, he glanced into the bathroom and saw it was empty. Looking down at himself, he saw he was wearing the same clothes he'd had on the day before. They were now wrinkled and disheveled, having been slept in. A bolt of fear seemed to reach up and grab him around the throat as realization washed over him. Callie had never made it up to the bedroom!

'_You idiot!'_ Frank cursed himself. Something had happened to Callie, he was certain of that. _'She was in trouble and you slept right through it!'_

He bolted from the bed and lunged for the door, intending to wake Joe and mount a search for his missing wife when he was stopped by the ringing of his cell phone. With one hand on the doorknob he hesitated, staring at the phone as it rang a second and third time. If he answered it, would it be good news or bad? Would it be Callie herself, or someone who knew what had happened to her? Or, God forbid, the police regretfully telling Frank they had found a body…

Crossing the room in two strides he grabbed the phone and snapped it open. "Hello?"

"Frank?"

The voice was slightly familiar but in his current state of mild panic, Frank couldn't think clearly enough to place it.

"Yes. Who are you?" he demanded.

The man chuckled slightly. "I'm the person who's keeping your wife company."

Frank closed his eyes, feeling his self-control slowly starting to slip away. _'Don't panic. Find out what he wants. Don't upset him. Don't give him any reason to hurt her.'_

"Frank? You still there?"

"Yes, I'm here," Frank replied, startled to hear the slight tremor in his voice. "What do you want?"

"The file," came the simple reply.

"I don't _have_ the file anymore," Frank responded, cursing the Gray Man. Why hadn't he leaked the information as promised?

"Yes, I know that."

The reply surprised Frank. _'He __**did**__ leak the information… So what does this guy think I can do for him now?'_

"But you know where it is," the man continued calmly. "I suggest you contact your visitor from last night and impress upon him how important it is that he give the file back to you."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Frank asked, his voice rising slightly. The Gray Man would never agree to give up the file for Callie, Frank would bet his life on that.

"I don't know, but I'm sure you'll think of something. Because if you don't, you'll never see your wife alive again."

Frank's heart skipped a beat and a few beads of sweat popped out on his forehead.

"I'll call you back at two o'clock. If you don't have it by then, your wife dies," the man said coldly.

"Let me talk to her!" Frank cried out desperately. "How do I know you haven't killed her already?"

"Why would I do that?" the man chuckled. "She's been very cooperative and without her, I have no leverage against you. And she's quite charming…"

"Let me talk to her," Frank repeated through gritted teeth.

"Of course," the man replied agreeably.

Seconds passed, feeling like an eternity to Frank. Finally he heard Callie's voice, shaky but strong. "Frank?"

Frank clutched the phone tightly. "Baby, are you all right? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine. They haven't hurt me," Callie assured him.

"Listen, don't worry, okay? I'll do whatever they want. We'll be back together before you know it." Frank heard a muffled voice in the background telling Callie to say goodbye.

"I love you," Callie said softly.

"I love you, too." He heard the shuffling of the phone from hand to hand and Callie's kidnapper was back.

"See, I told you she was fine. And she'll stay that way – as long as you do as you're told," he promised.

"I will. Where do you want me to deliver the file?"

"I'll tell you once I know you have it," came the response. "I'm sure you know the drill but just in case – no cops, no feds… Not even your brother. No one but you, or she dies."

Before Frank could respond, the man hung up, leaving him with nothing but a dial tone ringing in his ear.


	18. Chapter 18

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 18

Very slowly Joe began to awaken, fighting it every step of the way. Burrowing deeper under the heavy, down-filled comforter he tried to will himself back to sleep. He soon discovered that while his body was still feeling the effects of the previous day's activities and wanted nothing more than rest, his mind was awake and prodding the rest of him to follow. Wondering how hard it would be to convince Vanessa to spend the day holed up in the cabin, catering to his every whim, Joe sensed he was being watched. Cracking one eye halfway open, he was greeted by the sight of Vanessa, propped up on one elbow staring down at him.

"Whatcha doin'?" he mumbled.

"Just enjoying the view." She replied leaned down and planted a feather-light kiss on his cheek.

"Can I have another one?" Joe requested, as she began to pull away.

She happily fulfilled his request and then resumed watching him. "How are you feeling?"

"My brain says get up, but my body says play dead." Joe rolled onto his back and began to stretch out, immediately regretting it. "Ooooow…ow…ow…" he moaned, recoiling into a ball. "Okay, that hurt," he complained, wrapping his arms about his stomach.

Sliding down under the covers, Vanessa put her arms around him and gently pulled him close. "Then why don't we just hang out here today. You can rest and let me take care of you."

'_Wow, that was easier than I thought!'_ Joe grinned.

"What's so funny?"

"Not a thing. I was just thinking what a good idea that is." Joe closed his eyes, he sighed softly, happy to lie there and enjoy the feeling of Vanessa's arms around him.

Content that the day was starting out to his liking, Joe was now torn between reveling in Vanessa's undivided attention, or convincing her to go downstairs and get him a cup of coffee. He sniffed the air searching for the familiar aroma and then wrinkled his nose in disappointment.

'_No coffee?'_ he groused to himself, having quickly gotten used to Frank and Callie having breakfast all prepared by the time he and Vanessa got up. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he frowned. Something wasn't right.

"Frank and Callie up yet?" Joe asked, looking at Vanessa.

She shrugged. "I haven't heard anything. Maybe they're sleeping in today."

"Maybe," Joe mumbled. He leaned back against Vanessa and closed his eyes again, determined to do nothing more strenuous than enjoy all the attention she was showering on him.

'_Maybe they are sleeping in. Frank had a rough day, too, yesterday. still, this is late even for him.'_

Several minutes later, Joe sighed heavily, acknowledging the fact that he wouldn't be able to relax until he knew for sure Frank and Callie really were just sleeping in. From the time they were small children, Frank had always followed a daily routine. He modified it, adapting to lifestyle changes as he grew older, but he rarely deviated from it for any reason. Joe had long ago accepted this as one of his brother's endearing quirks, at times wishing some of Frank's discipline would rub off on him. Knowing he would continue to worry until he knew for sure, Joe opened his eyes and reluctantly unwrapped Vanessa's arms from around him.

"Want me to come with you?" Vanessa asked, knowing exactly where he was going.

Joe waved her off as he climbed out of bed. "Nah. I'm sure you're right and they're just sleeping late. No sense both of us making fools of ourselves."

Grabbing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, Joe disappeared into the bathroom. Emerging washed and dressed a few moments later, he saw Vanessa had also gotten up and was pulling a sweater over her head.

"I'll get breakfast started," she said, passing him on the way to the bathroom.

"Thanks." Joe grabbed her for a quick kiss and then went in search of his brother.

oooOOOooo

Frank paced the considerable length of the bedroom suite, each step feeding the growing panic inside him. He knew he was slowly losing control and had no idea how to stop it. He'd never felt like this before, so utterly helpless. Everything about the situation was out of his control. He knew the man who had Callie was the same one who had tried to kill him and Joe the day before, but that was _all_ he knew. No name, no background information… nothing he could use to his advantage.

Helpless. Out of control. It hadn't been this bad even when Joe was missing in Chicago. He'd at least had a few leads then, and his father to share the burden with. And it was Joe who was missing, not Callie…

'_Joe can take care of himself, but Callie…God, where are you, Baby?'_

Frank stopped abruptly and stared out the glass doors of the balcony at the stunning view of the mountains. Should he even bother calling the Gray Man? Would he even care? Frank knew Arthur Gray wouldn't even consider letting him have the disc as bait to bargain for Callie's life, but would he help with some kind of rescue operation? Would the kidnappers know he'd asked for help? Was he willing to risk Callie's life that they wouldn't?

Frank shook his head and resumed pacing. _'No. Can't take that chance; can't risk it. I've gotta get her back on my own.'_

Hearing a noise from down the hall, Frank stopped and stared at the closed bedroom door. Joe and Vanessa were up. He knew Joe would soon come looking for him, as he and Callie never slept this late. Frozen in place, he listened to the heavy footsteps getting closer and closer, finally coming to a stop right outside the door.

'_Go away!'_ Frank mentally yelled at his brother.

There was a knock on the door followed by Joe's muffled voice. "Frank? Cal? You guys up?"

_"…no cops, no feds…not even your brother. No one but you or she dies."_

The words echoed in Frank's head, reinforcing his irrational belief that he could handle everything on his own. Frank remained silent.

'_Maybe he'll think we went out. He'll get tired of waiting out there and go away…'_

Joe knocked again, louder this time. "Frank?"

Frank held his breath, willing Joe to leave. He watched as the doorknob slowly turned, unleashing the fear he'd so far been able to suppress. Lunging for door, Frank pulled it open just enough to stick his head out.

"Hey, Joe. Can you keep it down? Callie isn't feeling well," he lied, hoping he was at least halfway convincing. _'I'm willingly lying to Joe…'_ he thought miserably. _'Never thought it could happen…'_

…

Joe took one look at his brother and knew immediately his nagging suspicions that something was wrong were right on the mark. He also knew that whatever it was had Frank absolutely terrified. He decided to play along for the moment, hoping Frank was distracted enough to let something slip.

"Sorry to hear that," Joe replied, sounding concerned. Standing on his toes, Joe tried peer over Frank's shoulder into the room. Frank countered his every move, constantly shifting to block his view. "What's wrong with her?"

"She just…you know…she just doesn't feel too good," Frank repeated, nervously. "Why don't you and Van go out for the day? Have some fun. I'll stay here with Callie."

Noting the way Frank's anxiety increased by the second, Joe decided to call his bluff.

"That's okay," Joe shrugged. "Between the skiing, being strung up by my thumbs, beaten senseless and almost burned to a crisp, I'm not feeling so hot myself. We'll stay here and keep you guys company."

"No!" Frank cried out, letting his guard down for a second.

That was all Joe needed. Shoving his way past Frank, Joe strode into the empty room. He looked around the bedroom and then proceeded to check the bathroom and even the closet before returning to face Frank. "Where is she?" he asked gently.

"Gone," Frank replied miserably. Sinking onto the bed, Frank dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders slumping forward.

Joe stared at his brother for a moment, reminded how heavily he'd depended on Frank in the past year. Many times, Frank was the only thing that had held him together. Frank had given him hope when he needed it and a hand to hold onto when all Joe really wanted to do was crawl into the black hole of depression and let it swallow him up. When Joe found himself wallowing in self-pity, certain he deserved every horrible thing that had happened to him, Frank refused to listen to him, instead giving Joe a dose of tough love and an attitude adjustment.

Many times Joe had lashed out at Frank with angry words, releasing all his pent up fears on his brother…his brother who stood tall and took everything Joe needed to release, never once retaliating, despite how justified it may have been at the time. Joe had never said it out loud, but he was convinced Frank had saved his sanity, and the one time Joe was so mired in darkness he couldn't see one ray of light, he was certain Frank had saved his life.

Knowing he'd never be able to repay Frank for what he'd done, Joe resolved to at least offer the same kind of unconditional love and support he'd received when he needed it the most.

Joe sat down on the bed beside Frank and gently laid a hand on his back. "What do you mean, gone?"

Frank looked up at Joe, his eyes filled with despair. "They grabbed her, Joe. Just grabbed her and took her away and I never heard a thing! How could I sleep through that? How could I not _know_ something was wrong? Why didn't I check the damn locks myself?" Frank demanded. He stared at Joe a moment longer as if expecting an answer and then dropped his head in shame.

Joe tried to follow Frank's cryptic words and disjointed thoughts, coming to the conclusion Callie had been kidnapped – sometime during the night – most likely by the same men who had grabbed him and Frank the day before. Assuming Frank had been just as exhausted as he was, Joe didn't find it at all surprising that Frank went to bed before Callie and probably collapsed into a sleep so deep the cabin could have blown up around him and he wouldn't have noticed. Joe also knew the overwhelming guilt he'd feel if he were in Frank's shoes right now.

"The goons who grabbed us? They took Callie last night?" Joe asked, wanting to confirm his theories before doing anything else.

Frank nodded silently in reply.

"Have they called you with any kind of ransom demand?" Joe continued, knowing exactly what the men would want in exchange for Callie.

"A little while ago. They want the disc." Frank stared at the floor disconsolately. "The guy said I should contact Gray and persuade him to give me the disc. He's going to call me back this afternoon to make sure I have it and then he'll tell me where to deliver it." He looked up again. "Gray will never give up that disc; not for anyone."

Unfortunately, Joe knew he was right. Arthur Gray saw nothing wrong with sacrificing one life to save many – or in this case to save the latest advancement in waging war. Undeterred, Joe was certain that if they put their heads together, he and Frank could come up with some way to rescue Callie – with or without Gray's help.

"We'll find her," Joe assured him confidently. He was about to continue when Frank's vehement reply stopped him cold.

"NO! You have to stay out of it, Joe! Please… they'll kill her," he pleaded, grabbing Joe's arm. _"…no cops, no feds…not even your brother. No one but you or she dies. _That's what he said," Frank repeated the threat. "Please, Joe, I have to do this alone or she'll die."

Joe's heart broke at the look on Frank's face, the tone in his voice, the overwhelming pressure of feeling that his every move would be a factor in deciding whether Callie lived or died. But no way was he letting his brother deal with this alone. Seeing his normally unflappable brother on the verge of collapse at the thought of Joe's presence getting Callie killed, Joe decided to back off, confer with Vanessa and regroup.

"Whatever you say," Joe agreed. He got up and walked to the door. "Just let me know if you change your mind." Joe walked out and closed the door behind him.

Halfway down the hall, he met up with Vanessa and quickly explained what happened.

"You mean you told Frank you'd stay out of it and he believed you?" Vanessa asked, her eyes wide in shock.

Joe shook his head sadly. "Yeah, shows you just how shook up he is."

"You're not really going to stay out of it are you?" Vanessa asked rhetorically.

Joe snorted and took her hand, leading her down the stairs. "Sure I will – when hell freezes over."


	19. Chapter 19

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 19

Joe sat at the table and sipped the coffee Vanessa had placed in front of him. The one thing he knew for sure was that they needed Arthur Gray's help. The men who kidnapped Callie had been fooled once, they wouldn't fall for it a second time.

"Do you remember Gray's number, by any chance?" he asked Vanessa who was seated next to him.

"Don't have to," she answered mysteriously. Standing, Vanessa walked to the counter and opened her purse. She rummaged around in it for a moment, pulled something out and returned to Joe's side. Smiling, she pressed a button and held up her cell phone. The display showed the last number dialed – Arthur Gray's cell phone.

Joe grinned and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Okay we need to come up with a way to get him back here."

"Just tell him the truth," Vanessa said, slightly confused. "I mean Frank got the file back for him and Callie _is_ his wife. She's just an innocent victim. He owes Frank – and you! How can he _not_ help?"

Joe wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Because he's the Gray Man. He's got no heart and no conscience. He'd never feel obligated to us for anything. He'd say he was sorry about Callie but she's a necessary casualty. Sometimes you must sacrifice one to save many," Joe repeated the words Gray lived by – words Joe would never understand or agree with.

Vanessa stared at him in disbelief.

"He'd sacrifice his own mother for the cause," Joe muttered with disdain.

Vanessa's disbelief quickly turned to anger. "Well if he thinks he's going to sacrifice Callie, he's in for a rude awakening!" She leaned forward, the anger fueling her determination. "So we need to come up with a way to get him here, and we need to figure out what we can give these guys in exchange for Callie."

Joe rested his chin in his hand, smiling as he watched and listened to Vanessa. The intensity – and excitement – in her voice reminded him of himself.

Now standing, Vanessa paced the small area in front of the table, waving her hands animatedly as she spoke. "Whatever we come up with has to be good – _really_ good. Frank already fooled them once. Whatever we give them this time will be gone over with a fine-toothed comb."

'_We,'_ Joe thought, smiling as he continued watching her frenzied pacing_. 'She keeps saying we. I like that.'_

"I've got it!" Vanessa suddenly cried out. She pulled up a chair close to Joe and sat down facing him, her eyes gleaming. "We'll assume these guys know the file is supposed to have some kind of formula and maybe some plans or schematics. Otherwise how would they know what Frank gave them was wrong?"

"Mm-hmm," Joe nodded. Vanessa seemed to be on a roll and he didn't want to disrupt her train of thought.

"But they don't know exactly what the formula is, what the plans should look like – the specifics. If they knew that, they wouldn't need the file, right?" She looked at Joe expectantly but didn't wait for an answer, plunging ahead full steam. "If we can get Gray to bring the disc back, I can look at it and create a new file that looks exactly the same – but I'll insert random numbers, change letters, transpose digits… they'll never know it's a fake until they get back to wherever they came from and start working on it!"

As Joe listened, he felt the butterflies in his stomach start to flutter. He sat up a little straighter and his heart started to beat a little faster as the adrenaline rush began. _'I think she's onto something!'_

"Gray said this whole thing is still in the experimental stages, so they wouldn't be too surprised if it didn't work – at least initially. It could take weeks, months – even longer – before they figured out all they've got is a bunch of useless formulas!" Vanessa finally stopped, breathless and excited, waiting for Joe's response.

Joe looked at her for a moment. Suddenly he jumped up and scooped Vanessa up in his arms, kissing her enthusiastically. "You're not only beautiful, you're brilliant, too!" Joe exclaimed proudly, still holding her tightly.

Vanessa practically glowed, thrilled by Joe's praise and returned the kiss. Reluctantly, she pulled back and looked in his eyes. "We still need to figure out how to get Gray here – and have him bring the disc."

Joe nodded in agreement. "I think it's time we got Frank involved. Be right back." He stole one more kiss and then headed for the stairs.

oooOOOooo

Frank stared at the slowly dying flames in the fireplace, trying to keep his hopes from dying too. He wanted to ask Joe for help; he had even gotten as far as opening the door – once – but the words always stopped him…

_"no cops, no feds not even your brother…"_

Frank kept telling himself over and over, he could do this alone. Maybe if he repeated it enough times, he'd actually start to believe it. But with no disc and a couple of wild ideas that couldn't even qualify as a 'plan', the little voice in his head told Frank that if he insisted on proceeding alone, both he and Callie would probably be dead by the end of the day.

A persistent knock on the door ended that morbid thought. Knowing it was Joe and that he'd simply let himself in if Frank didn't respond, Frank rose and walked across the room. Pulling the door open, he saw Joe staring back at him with a mixture of concern and… excitement? Not having the inclination or the energy to try to guess what his brother was thinking, Frank simply stepped aside, silently inviting Joe to enter.

"Listen, Frank, I know…" Joe began.

"No," Frank said, his voice quiet but firm.

"You don't even know what I was going to say!" Joe protested.

"You were going to say I can't do this alone and I have to let you help me," Frank responded tiredly, sinking onto the couch. "And the answer is still no."

Joe watched as Frank closed his eyes and leaned his head back, running a hand through his dark hair. Joe thought for a moment, trying to come up with a convincing argument, drawing a complete blank.

'_Ah, hell, I'll just wing it,'_ Joe decided. _'That's always worked before… most of the time anyway…'_

Joe flopped into a chair next to the couch. He leaned forward and stared at Frank intently. "Okay. Fine. You go alone," Joe agreed. "Now tell me about your plan. At least I can help with that."

Frank looked up at him nervously. "My… _plan_?"

"Yeah. Your plan," Joe pressed. "You know – details. What are you going to use to exchange for Callie? How are you going to get her – and yourself - out of there in one piece? What are you going to do if they've brought in reinforcements? What if they don't bring Callie to the exchange? How will you find out where she is and what will you do then?" Joe rattled off question after question.

"Uh… well… I… I don't exactly have _all_ the details worked out yet," Frank stammered, avoiding Joe's gaze.

"Okay, what _do_ you have worked out?"

Joe was met with silence. "Frank, you _do_ have a plan… don't you?" When the silence continued, Joe eyed his brother warily. "Oh, don't tell me you were planning on showing up empty handed, hoping to be struck with inspiration!"

Frank looked at Joe sheepishly and bowed his head.

Joe's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that was indeed what Frank had in mind. "Oh, jeez, now you're starting to think like me!" Joe lamented. "And let me tell you that is _very_ scary!"

Joe sighed and softened his tone at the despair on his brother's face. "Come on, Frank, think about it. They'll probably have reinforcements by now. You'll never be able to get her out of there by yourself. If you try it, you'll both end up dead and then who would bail me out next time I got in over my head?" Joe tried a little levity. Leaning forward, he put a hand on Frank's shoulder. "Listen, leave the ridiculously impossible, spur-of-the-moment, risk taking stuff to me, huh? It's my specialty." Joe smiled when Frank grunted in agreement.

"You know when Van was missing, I gladly accepted help from you _and_ Dad, even though I was told to go alone," Joe reminded him. "And you didn't let me down. I won't let you down either. Please… let me help."

'_Joe didn't think twice about letting Dad and me help,'_ Frank thought, staring into the fire_. 'He never doubted us for a second. He knew we'd never do anything to jeopardize Vanessa.' _Frank finally looked up and saw hope – and an offer of help – in his brother's blue eyes.

"How did you do it, Joe?" Frank asked softly. "When Vanessa was hurt, or missing, how did you keep it together?"

Joe stared at Frank intently as he answered. "I leaned on my brother… and he didn't let me down."

Frank felt a chill as Joe's words registered with him. It never once occurred to Joe that Frank wouldn't come through for him, no matter what the situation. Frank took a deep breath and uttered the words Joe thought he'd never hear. "I need help."

"This must be your lucky day," Joe replied with a straight face. "Because I _need_ to help." He smiled as Frank shook his head and chuckled. "Listen, Van and I have already been brainstorming. She came up with a great idea on what you can use to exchange for Callie – and it'll hold up under the closest scrutiny," Joe said confidently.

Frank sat up a little straighter, intrigued. "Oh?"

Joe excitedly explained Vanessa's plan to create a disc they could exchange for Callie. "But she needs to get a look at the original and we haven't quite figured out how to convince Gray to come back – and bring the disc with him. Soooooo… we were hoping you'd join us. We figured between the three of us we can come up with something."

Frank sat up a little straighter. The caller had specifically instructed him to call Gray and tell him to bring the disc back. He assumed the cabin was under surveillance, which meant Joe and Vanessa's plan would work to his advantage! For the first time all morning, Frank allowed himself a smile. _'This might work out after all…'_

Following Joe down the stairs, Frank took a seat at the table as Vanessa placed a cup of coffee in front of him. Politely declining her offer to make him some breakfast, he got right down to work, bouncing ideas off Joe. However, after thirty minutes Frank was starting to feel desperate again. Nothing they had come up with would be enough to compel Arthur Gray to return and bring the disc with him.

Hearing a 'thump', from outside, Frank got up and retrieved the paper that was delivered every morning, courtesy of the resort. Returning to the kitchen, he tossed it on the table and refilled his coffee. Leaning against the counter, he watched as Vanessa stared at the paper, eyes suddenly lighting up.

"Publicity!" she exclaimed.

Frank took a sip of his coffee, looking at Joe, puzzled. Joe shrugged his shoulders and looked at Vanessa expectantly.

"How would Gray feel about publicity – _negative_ publicity in particular?" she smiled devilishly. "We call him and tell him what's happened. Tell him about our plan to create a fake disc to exchange for Callie."

"He'll say no," Frank reminded her.

"Exactly. Then we tell him if he doesn't agree, we'll call the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN… we'll threaten to tell them the whole story – how the DoD had an employee steal the plans for the biggest military breakthrough in history right out from under their noses; how you two got involved and eventually got the plans back almost getting killed in the process. How now an innocent woman – the wife of one of the men who got the plans back – is being held hostage and the government refuses to get involved, calling her a 'necessary casualty'." Vanessa looked from Joe to Frank, waiting for a response.

"YES!" Joe yelled. He grabbed Vanessa and laid a kiss on her that made Frank turn several shades of red. Frank finally grabbed Joe's shirt and pulled him off Vanessa.

"Jeez, let her up for air, wouldja?" Frank scolded him, turning to a breathless Vanessa. "Van, that is brilliant – deviously brilliant!"

"Thank you," she beamed, offering Frank her cell phone. "Why don't you do the honors. Just press redial."


	20. Chapter 20

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 20

Arthur Gray listened with a mixture of surprise and amusement as Frank Hardy explained the reason for his call. While he felt badly about Callie's abduction, returning to assist in her rescue and turning over the disc to a civilian was out of the question. He wondered why Frank would even make such a request, knowing he would never agree to it no matter whose life hung in the balance.

"Frank, I'm truly sorry about your wife, I really am. But you know it's not possible for me to return and assist you in this. I have every confidence you and your brother will come up with a way to get her back unharmed," Gray replied once Frank had finished.

"Really," Frank said dryly. "I think it would be in your best interests to reconsider."

"Are you threatening me, Frank?" Gray's voice was tinged with amusement. "I'd expect something like that from your brother, but you…"

"No threats; just some friendly advice," Frank answered, suddenly annoyed that Gray rarely referred to Joe by name instead preferring to call him 'your brother'. "And his name is JOE, in case you've forgotten."

"Lord knows I could never forget him, no matter how much I'd like to," Gray said sarcastically.

"Trust me, the feeling is more than mutual. Now about the disc…"

"I can't believe you're asking me this. There is no way I am going to turn over the plans for the greatest discovery in military history to your brother's girlfriend-"

"Fiancée!" Frank corrected him angrily, his patience wearing thin with Gray's condescending attitude.

"Fiancée," Gray repeated.

"And I hardly think Vanessa is going to run out and try to build this… this… whatever it is you've discovered!" Frank said sarcastically.

"Be that as it may, the answer is still no. I'm sorry, Frank."

"So am I. You're not my favorite person in the world but I'd still hate to see your reputation ruined," Frank baited him.

"Excuse me?" Gray replied warily.

"You know, Callie is Vanessa's best friend. They're closer than sisters. And after the way you've treated Joe, you're not exactly at the top of Vanessa's list, if you know what I mean," Frank said cryptically.

"I understand I'm not Ms. Bender's favorite person, but I don't see what that has to do with this."

Frank dropped the bomb. "Vanessa was adamant that if you refused to help, she'd call all the major news outlets – CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post – and tell them everything."

Gray chuckled at the threat. "Tell her to call to her heart's content. No one will believe her."

"Oh, I think they will," Frank countered, wishing he could see Arthur Gray's face. "Think about it. She's engaged to Fenton Hardy's son. Fenton Hardy – one of the most respected names in law enforcement worldwide. At the very least, they'll know she's not some crackpot and check out her story." Frank couldn't help but smile when the only response was a very loud silence. "Still there?"

"I'm here," came the curt reply.

"Good, then hear me out. You come back here and bring the drive with you. Vanessa will take a look at it and create a duplicate – one that looks just like the original but with random numbers, letters and formulas inserted. When these guys call back, I'll tell them I have it and arrange a location to exchange the flashdrive for Callie." Frank winced at having to refer to his wife as something to be exchanged. However, he'd already let his emotions get the better of him once and he had no intention of letting it happen again. For better or worse, his best chance of getting Callie back alive was to treat this as he would any other case – logically and methodically planning a course of action.

"Aren't you the least bit concerned they're watching the cabin?" Gray questioned him. "If they see me come back to help you, they could kill her immediately."

"Actually, they're the ones who suggested I contact you. So I'm hoping they _are_ watching the cabin. When they see you arrive, they'll assume I'm following their instructions to the letter," Frank countered. "Once they contact me and I get the specifics for the exchange, we can all put our heads together and come up with the best way to rescue Callie _and_ capture them without compromising national security. You'd be in on the capture of the terrorists and get the glory for that as well as getting the flashdrive back," Frank prodded him. "Well…"

There was another lengthy silence followed by a sigh of defeat. "I'll be there in an hour," Gray said, not at all happy. "Make sure you and your bro…_Joe_… wait until I get there before you make any plans about how to proceed," he ordered.

"Agreed." Frank hung up the phone and turned to Joe and Vanessa, allowing himself a smile of relief. "He'll be here in an hour. He's going to bring the drive and let Vanessa take a look at it so she can create a duplicate with false information. Then we sit back and wait for the next call. After they give me the location for the exchange, we can come up with a plan to make it look like I'm following all their instructions."

"Make them think you're going alone, but we'll be there to back you up and bring Callie home," Joe finished for him, certain whatever they came up with would go off without a hitch.

"Right," Frank said, not quite able to match Joe's enthusiasm. Turning to Vanessa, he smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks, Van. If you hadn't come up with the idea for the fake program and a way to get Gray back here…" Frank let the words speak for themselves.

"Is she brilliant or what?" Joe beamed. He gathered Vanessa up in his arms for another kiss and the two quickly became lost in each other, seemingly oblivious to Frank's presence.

Frank watched them for a moment, conflicting emotions tearing at him. He was relieved to see that the unbridled happiness Joe and Vanessa had exhibited after learning the results of her final blood test hadn't diminished one bit. Yet seeing them so completely and totally wrapped up in each other left him with an overwhelming sadness. Standing, he made his way up to the bedroom, his heart aching for Callie.

oooOOOooo

Callie took a final bite and put the half-eaten breakfast sandwich on the table, pushing it away. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she smiled sadly, thinking of the breakfast she'd had twenty-four hours earlier. Joe and Vanessa had been so happy they were practically walking on air. Unable to keep their hands off each other, they had indulged in a steady stream of whispers and kisses, stopping only long enough to subject Frank to some good-natured teasing about their ongoing 'celebration'. Frank had willingly played the straight man, taking the jokes and ribbing in stride, grateful that they could finally put the past year behind them for good.

In an attempt to keep her own spirits up, Callie thought of the younger couple and how ecstatic they'd been. _'Thank God her blood test was negative. Now they can start planning a real future.'_ She glanced around the sparsely furnished room, her eyes coming to rest on her two captors. _'I wonder if I'll be around to share it with them.'_

Pulling her knees in to her chest, Callie wiped at her eyes, catching the tears before they could spill over. Determined to be strong, she replayed the very brief conversation with Frank in her mind.

_"Don't worry, I'll do whatever they want. We'll be back together before you know it."_

He had been trying to reassure her that everything would turn out fine, but she heard the fear in his voice. Fear that he couldn't hide. He had never said it out loud, but Callie knew Frank's biggest fear was that she might someday be hurt – or killed – because of him. The exact same fears she had for the children they had hoped to have one day. But she had the utmost faith in her husband. While Callie was scared, she also felt a kind of calmness deep in her soul. She trusted Frank with her life. Somehow he would find a way to bring her home safe and sound.

Callie sat up a little straighter as reality slowly dawned. Despite her current situation, she couldn't help but smile, relief washing over her. She trusted Frank with her life, implicitly.

'_Qhich means I trust him with our childrens lives – implicitly!'_

When combined with the talk she had with Joe two nights earlier, this new revelation unexpectedly gave her a whole new perspective on the issues she'd been struggling with for months. While Callie understood there would always be a chance any children she and Frank had could be put in danger as a result of his chosen career, she knew that Frank – and Fenton and Joe – would do everything in their power to prevent that.

Her mind wandered back to the previous day and she could still hear Vanessa's bubbly laughter as she talked endlessly about the children she and Joe wanted to have and the future they could now plan. The recollection left Callie with the slightest twinge of guilt. For the past year, Joe and Vanessa had been living in limbo, desperately wanting to have children and not knowing if they'd ever get the chance.

'_And for the past three months, I had all but decided to turn my back and voluntarily walk away from the precious gift of motherhood?'_

While her fears had been valid to a certain extent, Callie now saw, shamefully, she had blown them way out of proportion, letting them take on a life of their own. Confiding in Joe had gone a long way towards taming those fears. That, in turn, had allowed her to think clearly enough to make the most important connection – she trusted Frank with her own life; how could she _not_ trust him with the lives of their children?

Gazing around her 'prison', Callie was struck by the irony. It had taken her being kidnapped and threatened with death to realize that her children would be very well protected, by a father who would do whatever it took to ensure they had a safe and happy childhood.

Trying to quash the fear for her own safety that was threatening to erupt, Callie focused on her faith in Frank. She knew Frank would insist on following Carper's instructions to the letter, at least initially. He wouldn't be thinking straight, having been thrown way off balance by her kidnapping. Haunted by the knowledge of what had happened to Vanessa one year ago, Frank would be terrified of what might be happening to her, despite Carper's promise that she wouldn't be harmed. Consumed with worry for her, he'd refuse all offers of help – especially Joe's. She also knew Joe would be relentless in his efforts to change Frank's mind.

'_Listen to him, Frank. Let him help you,' _she silently urged, knowing Frank would slowly drive himself crazy if left alone.

As her thoughts changed direction yet again, Callie saw her future, feeling excitement instead of fear for the first time in months as she pictured the children she and Frank dreamed of. And for the first time in a year, she saw images of them playing with their cousins – Joe and Vanessa's children. Sadly the children's faces faded away as a new fear tried to poke it's way up from her subconscious – would her captors let her and Frank live long enough to make those dreams a reality?


	21. Chapter 21

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 21

Joe stood in the open doorway and saw Frank stretched out on the bed, one arm thrown over his eyes. "Frank?" he said tentatively, unsure if his brother were awake or asleep.

Frank immediately lifted his head and looked at Joe in response.

"Gray's here." Joe took a few steps into the room.

Frank sat up and nodded. Swinging his legs off the bed, he reached down to pick up his shoes off the floor.

Joe shifted nervously as he waited. He and Vanessa were still on a major high, intoxicated by the results of her final blood test. Since getting the good news, Joe had taken every opportunity to celebrate, shutting out everyone around him and making Vanessa the center of his world, showering her with affection.

When Frank had ended the phone call with Arthur Gray, Joe had swept Vanessa up in his arms for a quick congratulatory kiss. A kiss that had rapidly taken on a life of its own. When they finally separated, Frank was conspicuously absent. Joe had mentally kicked himself, and uttered more than a few choice words when he realized how hard it had to be for Frank to watch them for even a few seconds. They had been blissfully happy together, while Frank was alone, fearing for his wife's safety. While he couldn't take back his actions, Joe could at least let Frank know he regretted his thoughtlessness.

"Frank, I… uh… I want to apologize... for earlier," Joe said contrite, but not quite able to find the right words.

"Earlier?" Frank repeated puzzled, his eyes focused on tying his sneakers.

"Yeah. I mean when I realized Vanessa had really outsmarted Gray, I was beside myself I was so proud of her," Joe explained. "But I shouldn't have been quite so enthusiastic about showing her how I felt. I should have thought about your feelings, what with Callie missing and all. I didn't, and that was really inconsiderate. I'm sorry."

Frank stood and stared at his younger brother for a moment. "Apology _not_ accepted," he said, his voice low.

Surprised, Joe took a step back, feeling about two inches tall. His exuberant show of affection and disregard for Frank's situation had apparently hurt Frank much more than he'd originally thought. "Oh. Uh…okay," Joe mumbled, turning away.

A strong hand pulled him to a stop and spun him around, forcing Joe to meet his brother's eyes. "Do _not_ apologize for being happy and in love and not afraid to show it," Frank said seriously, before breaking into a smile. "It's about time you and Vanessa had something good happen in your lives. I've been waiting over a year to see you two this deliriously happy again." Frank had to stop, apparently amused at the rapidly changing expressions on Joe's face. "You weren't inconsiderate or thoughtless. You were just showing Vanessa how you felt about her and that's something you should _never_ apologize for."

While Joe was still fidgeting, it was now out of embarrassment at Frank's little speech rather than nervousness. Unable to come up with an adequate reply, Joe simply grinned at his brother and nodded in appreciation.

Frank turned Joe towards the door and threw an arm across his shoulders. "Let's go find my wife."

The boys returned to the living room to find Arthur Gray and Vanessa silently staring at each other in some kind of standoff.

"What's going on?" Frank asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why aren't you working on the program, Van?"

"Because _he_ won't give it to me," Vanessa replied, still glaring at the Gray Man. "He says he'll only turn it over to you. So I'm standing here, wasting time, waiting for him to give you the drive so you can turn around and give it to me. Time I could be using to create the fake program," she finished, happy to see the Network agent was looking more than a little embarrassed.

Frank muttered something under his breath as he stalked over to Gray. "I am not in the mood for your games! Give her the damn drive!" he snarled, then walked to the desk and booted up his laptop.

Joe watched in amusement as Gray slowly removed the small stick from his pocket and very reluctantly offered it to Vanessa. Snatching it out of his hand, Vanessa gave him a final glare and spun on her heel to join Frank at the computer.

"You're treading on thin ice," Joe grinned, warning Gray that Vanessa's patience with him was wearing thin. "And if you think _I've_ got a temper, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

Gray gave Joe a withering look as he silently brushed past the younger Hardy and took a seat on the couch. Joe followed and sat down right next to him, knowing it would annoy Gray to no end. Joe smiled as Gray moved a few inches. He waited a few seconds and then moved a few inches closer to Gray. Joe continued moving closer each time Gray attempted to put some distance between them, taking great pleasure in the frustration the admittedly childish game was causing the Network agent. However, as soon as Frank joined the pair, the little game stopped - Joe was all business.

Taking a seat, Frank noted Gray's look of annoyance and Joe's telltale smirk. He had only a moment to wonder what Joe had come up with to irritate Gray this time, before the older man began to speak.

"I've been in contact with the local authorities and alerted them to the situation. While it's strictly a Federal government operation, they've agreed to loan us three of their undercover officers. They're on stand-by, waiting to hear from us. I have also ordered a few agents from the nearest Network office to meet at the lodge and wait for me there."

"Are they experienced?" Frank asked. He knew he needed Gray's help, but he didn't want some rookie agent who was gung ho to make his first capture and impress Gray, putting Callie's life in any more danger than it already was.

"Some of the best," Gray reassured him. "Don't worry. If the exchange is in a public place, they'll blend right in with the crowd. If it's isolated, no one will ever know they are there."

"Good," Frank nodded, his fears somewhat alleviated. As he listened to Joe ask exactly who the agents were, Frank watched his younger brother shift position and wince at the movement. Joe's hand immediately went to his bruised and obviously sore midsection. The instinctive, subconscious action made Frank realize that neither he nor Joe were at one hundred percent after the previous day's encounter. He made a mental note to thank Arthur Gray for his assistance, once he had Callie back in his arms.

'_Callie_**…'**

While still listening to Gray, Frank couldn't help but be distracted by thoughts of his wife and what she might be going through. Callie had said she was fine when they spoke, but that was hours ago. Were her captors leaving her alone, as promised? Or were they bored, with nothing to do but keep an eye on her? What would they do to keep themselves amused? Still worse, would they take out their anger at Frank, for having gotten the better of them, on Callie? Out of nowhere, he was assaulted by the memory of the phone call he'd received from his father one year ago…

"_Collig just called me. Vanessa's been raped.__They can't find Joe to tell him…" _

Vanessa had been raped for the sole purpose of hurting Joe. Frank knew it was within the realm of possibility that Callie could suffer a similar fate to get back at him.

'_NO!'_ Frank screamed silently. _'They're professionals. They don't want to get back at me. They just want the flashdrive. They need her alive and unhurt or they know I won't go through with this,'_ Frank reminded himself. _'They won't hurt her… they won't…' _

Frank repeated those words over and over to himself, hoping to find some comfort in them when Joe's voice suddenly grabbed his attention. He didn't catch Joe's words but the hostility in them was lethal.

"No," Gray was shaking his head adamantly at whatever Joe had said. "Absolutely not. I will not allow it."

Frank saw Joe's anger quickly bubbling to the surface and knew an explosion was imminent. _'What did I miss?'_he wondered, hoping to figure it out before Joe completely lost his cool. Frank remained silent, listening, his eyes darting from Joe to Gray and back again.

"You won't _allow_ it?" Joe repeated contemptuously.

"That's right," Gray asserted. "Other than creating that fake program, your fiancée is _not_ a part of this operation. She will remain here until the mission is completed. Under no circumstances is she to accompany you. I can't believe you even suggested such a thing."

'_Joe wants Vanessa right by his side until this is over,'_ Frank quickly figured out. _'And Gray is dead set against it.' _

Normally, Frank would agree with Gray completely, but this time there were extenuating circumstances – ones he wasn't sure Arthur Gray was aware of. While Frank never wanted the girls to be within a hundred miles of anything that could be even remotely dangerous, he completely understood Joe's insistence that Vanessa accompany him. He knew Joe did not want Vanessa out of his sight until these men were in custody. Frank also understood that being left alone in the cabin to wait for their return, would serve no purpose other than unleashing some very painful images from Vanessa's not quite recovered psyche.

"Vanessa stays with Joe at all times," Frank cut in, his voice commanding immediate attention and compliance. "That is _not_ open for discussion."

Gray shifted his attention to Frank, fully prepared to continue the argument, only to be stopped short by the look in Frank's eyes. Frank stared back at him, his eyes almost black in color. He never blinked and never looked away, daring Gray to challenge him.

While Arthur Gray's expression didn't change, inside he flinched, knowing he'd already lost this battle. He was seeing yet another new side of Frank Hardy – one he instinctively thought it best not to cross. While his wounded pride rallied for him to argue the point, Gray reminded himself his instincts had saved his life more than once and wisely chose to listen to them. "Fine," he said stonily. "But I want it known that I think it's a very bad idea."

"Duly noted," Frank said, his tone making it clear he didn't particularly care what Arthur Gray thought. The subject was closed and he was ready to move on.

Joe simply sat there, momentarily in awe of his older brother. Awe that rapidly gave way to admiration and gratitude. By all rights, Frank should be completely obsessed with finding Callie to the exclusion of all else. Yet he immediately understood the emotional toll being left alone would take on Vanessa – and Joe. Despite knowing his actions might anger the Gray Man to the point where he'd choose to turn his back on their rescue effort, leaving them with nothing to trade and no back up at all, Frank never hesitated. He stepped in right away, making it clear to Arthur Gray that he had no say in this decision – and that he had better not ask for explanations.

Feeling the animosity between Gray and Joe growing by the second, Frank was relieved to hear Vanessa's voice break the tension.

"Done," she announced, beckoning the three men to join her.

Frank stood, wisely positioning himself between his brother and Arthur Gray as they walked to the small desk where Vanessa was working.

"Here's one of them," she said, waiting as Gray studied the screen intently. After he gave a slight nod, she maximized a second window. "And here's the other one."

Frank watched as Gray scrutinized this one just as thoroughly. He saw the Network agent reach out and return to the first screen, frowning as he did so. He then clicked back to the second screen. This went on for several minutes making Frank wonder what exactly Gray was looking for. They looked identical to Frank – he couldn't tell which was the original and which was the fake.

'_And neither can he!'_ It suddenly dawned on Frank, that Arthur Gray also had no idea which was the original file and which was the fake. _'Wonder how long it'll take for him to admit it,'_ Frank thought sardonically.

Vanessa suddenly stood up, and winked at Frank. _'She realizes it, too.'_ Frank couldn't help but smile at the predicament Gray found himself in.

"When you're done, you can close both files and give Frank the copy," Vanessa said, a hint of mischief in her voice.

"No, no," Gray replied a little too quickly. "You can do that," he said trying to back away.

"Oh, but I insist," Vanessa said sweetly, crossing her arms over her chest. "After all it is government property. I'd rather not have it in my possession any longer than necessary. Go ahead," she made a sweeping gesture towards the computer. "Give Frank the copy."

Frank bit his lip to stifle a laugh, although he was thoroughly enjoying the situation. _'Serves him right, the way he's always so condescending to Joe – and Vanessa by association.'_

The Gray Man wavered for just a moment and then finally threw up his hands in defeat, much to Frank's delight.

"Look, we both know I can't tell the difference," Gray said grudgingly. "Just give me the original and Frank the copy."

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Vanessa replied sarcastically, taking a seat at the desk once again.

"She's good, isn't she?" Joe boasted proudly, elbowing Gray in the ribs. "Isn't she?"

"Yes, she's good," Gray muttered as he accepted a drive from Vanessa. "You're sure this is the original?" He eyed the identical drive she was giving to Frank.

"Of course she is!" Joe exclaimed as he grabbed Vanessa and kissed her, which she returned with enthusiasm.

Frank smiled as Gray stared at Joe and Vanessa for a moment. "Are they always like this?" he asked, turning towards Frank.

"Mm-hmm," Frank replied as he walked back to the couch, the drive securely in his hand.

Gray followed, glancing back at the young couple more than once as he did so. "Have they ever passed out from lack of oxygen?" he wondered aloud.

Frank chuckled at the thought. "Not yet, but there's always a first time."

The tension that had been momentarily lifted, descended once again as everyone's attention was captured by the ringing of the phone.


	22. Chapter 22

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 22

Bradford Grayson looked around the room at the others gathered there. Shaking his head in disappointment, he stared at Carper and Ross. This was their first operation without his constant supervision. He'd thought they were ready but they had let the situation get out of hand, making mistake after mistake, which he now had to clean up. He'd had to call in reinforcements and that left a bitter taste in his mouth. Grayson wanted to keep the operation small – the fewer people involved, the less chance the authorities would find out – but Frank Hardy forced him to modify those plans. The young detective had made fools of them once and Grayson wasn't going to let it happen again. He smiled for the briefest second out of respect for a worthy adversary.

The smile vanished. _'A shame he'll have to be killed.'_ He felt it a waste to destroy such skill and intelligence no matter whose side it was on. _'His wife too. Counting the girl from the DoD, that makes three bodies.'_

Grayson frowned. Unlike others in his field, he detested killing witnesses. It was his firm belief that a body left behind provided a wealth of information – not to mention evidence. He preferred there be no witnesses at all, especially in this case. Fenton and Joe Hardy wouldn't stop in the search for Frank and Callie's killers – he was certain of that. He'd have to go into hiding for a while and let the lower level of the organization take the heat for this one. Hopefully, those that were captured would be enough to satisfy the Hardys' quest for justice.

'_Ross can be sacrificed for the cause, but Carper has the potential to go far,'_ he thought, deciding who would be left dangling for the authorities.

Looking at his watch, he saw it was time to contact Frank Hardy with details for the exchange. Gazing around the cabin, he sought out Carper – and frowned. The brightest star in his organization was staring at their hostage. The usual icy look in his eyes had turned to one of concern as he kept a close eye on Callie Hardy. It was obvious, at least to Grayson, that Carper had become protective of the beautiful young woman. When this operation was over, he'd have to have a long talk with Carper and he hoped Carper would give him the answers he wanted to hear. Clearing his throat, he got Carper's attention. With a curt nod, he let the man know it was time to make the call.

oooOOOooo

Frank picked up the phone and pressed a button, lifting it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Do you have the program?"

Frank recognized the voice as belonging to Carper. "Yes, where do you want to make the exchange?"

"Not so fast. Your visitor hasn't left yet and neither have your brother or his fiancée. You didn't recruit them to help, did you?"

"Do you really think I'm that stupid? We're talking about Callie's life!" Frank said angrily. "My brother is moving a little slow today thanks to you and your partner. He'll be leaving shortly and taking Vanessa with him. And my visitor had to be told about your 'request', didn't he? Otherwise, how could I possibly convince him to give me what I needed?" Frank mentally crossed his fingers hoping he sounded convincing.

"So why is he still there?"

"To make sure you didn't try and double-cross me, or make any more demands," Frank said curtly.

"I suppose I'll have to take your word for that." Frank heard a sigh before Carper began to speak again. "Go to _Windows_ restaurant. Take the cable car to the top of the overlook; Ross and I will be waiting there. You'll give me the flashdrive, which I will take to my superiors. Ross will keep you and your wife company while I'm gone. Once we have verified the program is authentic, I'll contact Ross and he will release you and your wife. You'll both be free to go."

"I want to talk to her," Frank demanded. He heard the phone being passed and then Callie's voice.

"Frank? How are you?" she asked, concern in every word.

_'She's been kidnapped and threatened with death and she wants to know how __I'm__ doing,' _Frank thought as he attempted to speak over the lump in his throat. "I'm fine, Babe. Are you all right?"

"Mm-hmm. And I'll be even better once we're back together."

"Soon, very soon...I promise."

"I love you," Callie said softly as the phone was taken away.

"See, she's fine, just like I promised," Carper said. "And as long as you do as you're told, the two of you will walk away from _Windows_ together. Be there in ninety minutes."

Before Frank could reply, the call was ended. He turned towards Joe and Gray.

"An hour and a half at the overlook at _Windows _restaurant," he said somberly.

"What?" Joe exclaimed, jumping up and wincing as he did so.

Frank walked to his brother's side and looked Joe in the eyes. "Are you sure you're up for this? I don't want you hurt any worse than you already are. Gray has plenty of reinforcements-" Frank stopped mid-sentence as Joe held up his hand.

"I was mildly irritated when they kidnapped me. I was really annoyed when they strung me up like a piñata and used me for a punching bag and I was just plain pissed off when they tried to shish-kebob us, but then they grabbed Callie… Well, they crossed the line when they snatched my sister-in-law. Now it's time for payback," he finished, his blue eyes burning with a need for revenge.

Frank bit back a smile at Joe's colorful recounting of events. He also felt a rush of pride at Joe's obvious protectiveness of Callie. _'They've come a long way…'_

"Now that we've got that question answered, I suggest we formulate a plan," Gray said dryly. "We don't have much time to get organized."

"Right," Frank agreed and then looked from Joe to Vanessa. "But you two have to leave – soon."

"Hey!" Joe protested. "I'm fine and I'm _not_ being left out of this!"

"Nobody said you would be," Frank soothed. "I just meant they have someone watching the cabin and Carper made sure to point out to me that you and Vanessa were still here. He point blank asked me if I recruited you to help."

Joe grinned. "And you were able to answer honestly, since I volunteered."

"Right, but we need to figure out where you and Vanessa will fit into the operation so you can leave. Personally, I'd like you to stay at the bottom in case something goes wrong," Frank said vaguely, knowing Joe would understand his meaning. "If it goes bad, I know you'll make sure they're caught."

"Absolutely," Joe said soberly. "But it won't go bad."

"Joe and Vanessa can take a position just outside the restaurant," Gray began. "They'll easily blend in with the crowds and won't be noticed. Especially since they are about to leave for the lodge and pick up the snowmobile they rented for the afternoon," he finished with a smile.

"Nice plan, but we don't have a snowmobile reserved for this afternoon," Joe stated.

"Of course you do. I just made your reservation while you were busy arguing with your brother."

"We were discussing, not arguing," Joe corrected him. "And thanks for the rental."

"No problem." Gray brushed off the thanks, as he quickly became all business again. "I'll station some agents at the top of the outlook, in the cable cars and at the restaurant. No matter how many people they've brought in to help, we'll still have them covered."

"That's assuming Carper doesn't take the drive too far for verification," Frank reminded them.

"He can't. By the time this all goes down they'll have to move quickly. The cable cars stop running before dusk, so they need to have it all wrapped up before then," Gray surmised. Standing he picked up his coat and headed for the door. "I suggest you two leave immediately," he said to Joe and Vanessa. "Frank, I'll be with the agents up top," he finished, disappearing out the door.

oooOOOooo

Grayson emerged from the car and motioned for Carper and Ross to join him. He scanned the parking lot and surrounding areas as he reviewed the plan one last time.

"You'll take Mrs. Hardy to the top of the outlook. Her husband should be arriving shortly after you get there. Get the drive from him and bring it to me in the restaurant," he said, looking directly at Carper for a moment. "Ross, you'll stay with Hardy and his wife. As soon as I have looked it over and I'm satisfied it's authentic, we'll call you. When you get the call, simply walk away and leave them there. I want them to think they've been freed."

"And if it's a fake, I wait for reinforcements and we bring them back down. We dispose of them and go after the brother," Ross finished.

"Very good." Grayson smiled thinly, pleased that this time the plan would come off without a hitch. The operative who had been watching the Hardys' cabin had reported in when Arthur Gray left and again when Joe Hardy and his fiancée hiked to the lodge and picked up a snowmobile. "Gentleman," he bowed his head slightly and strode towards the restaurant.

oooOOOooo

Callie pulled the new coat tighter around her as her eyes darted about the platform. Wedged tightly between Carper and Ross, she couldn't escape even if she wanted to. The coat Carper had brought her was a few sizes too big, allowing cold air to penetrate straight through to her bones. She shivered, partly from the cold and partly from the fact that she didn't recognize anyone else in the jumble of people who were milling about the overlook.

Callie hadn't expected to see her husband just yet, knowing whatever he had planned would look like he was following their instructions to the letter. She had at least hoped to see Joe or even Vanessa among the tourists gazing out at the breathtaking scenery, letting her know Frank had some assistance. As yet another cable car docked and the doors _whooshed_ open, Callie watched the people who were getting off anxiously. Her heart soared when she saw Frank emerge from the crowd and then plummeted just as quickly when she realized he was alone. Where was Joe? Had Frank really kept everything from him? She had no time to think as Frank approached and stopped directly in front of them.

Instinctively, Callie started to reach out for him when Carper stepped in front of her. Silently, he held out his hand, palm up, staring at Frank. Without at word, Frank slipped something out of his pocket and turned it over to Carper.

"Wait here," Carper instructed Frank. "And don't try and be a hero or your wife – and probably a few innocent tourists – will die."

"Can I at least hold her?" Frank replied, somewhat sarcastically.

Callie wasn't sure but she thought Carper flinched at the thought. "I suppose, but my partner will be watching your every move."

Seconds later, Callie felt herself being swept up in Frank's arms. She threw her arms around his neck as her eyes began to tear.

"Shhhh, it's okay, Baby," Frank murmured softly as she choked back a sob. Now that she was back in his arms, her resolve to be strong was starting to slip. "Everything will be fine… _trust me_."

'_He's __not__ alone!'_ Callie thought, elated. Before she could enjoy the warmth of being so close to Frank, she suddenly felt herself being roughly pulled back.

"Enough with the cuddling," Ross said curtly. "Just stand here and enjoy the view."

Callie heard a low growl from her husband, but he remained silent. Seconds later she felt Frank's arm around her waist and she snuggled close to him. She wasn't sure how long they stood together like that, but soon a low chirp sounded from next to her. She and Frank watched as Ross pulled a cell phone from his pocket.

"Yes?" he said into the small mouthpiece. "Okay, I'm on my way." Turning to Frank and Callie, he smiled a smile that made Callie shiver.

"Looks like you were able to follow instructions this time, Hardy. I'll be on my way. Wait five minutes and then you can leave."

As Ross turned to go, Callie saw Frank give the slightest nod of his head. Men suddenly converged on them from all directions and within seconds pandemonium reigned. She was roughly shoved aside and stumbled, falling to her knees and landing heavily against the railing that prevented tourists from getting too close to the edge. She heard swearing, screaming and shouts of "POLICE!" and "FBI!" Looking up she saw Frank reaching down for her. Extending her hand towards him, she saw a movement behind him and her heart stopped.

Apparently Ross realized he was about to be caught and wasn't going down without a fight. Grabbing Frank's collar, Ross pulled him up. Callie was sure Ross intended to use him as a shield and was shocked when Ross grabbed Frank's arm instead. With a whip-like movement, Ross threw Frank towards the railing giving him a hard shove, momentarily confusing the agents surrounding him. Seeing his opportunity, Ross barreled through the crowd and squeezed through the closing doors of the only cable car in view with police and Federal agents in hot pursuit. Only Callie's eyes remained on her husband as a scream tore from her throat.

"_FRANK_!"

She watched in disbelief as the momentum of Ross's shove carried Frank up and over the safety railing towards the gaping valley below. Scrambling to her feet, Callie blindly grabbed for him. Relief flooded through her as her hands closed around Frank's forearm. It lasted only a few short seconds as Callie felt herself slowly being pulled forward. Frank outweighed her by almost one hundred pounds and she lacked the upper body strength to hold his dead weight. Horrified, Callie realized he was pulling both of them to their deaths.

"Callie, let me go!" Frank yelled, knowing she was dangerously close to plunging over the rail herself.

'_Never!'_ Callie promised herself, clutching Frank's arm even tighter.

"Someone help us!" she cried out. Her plea echoed over the open valley below and tears blurred her vision as her feet started to leave solid ground.


	23. Chapter 23

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 23

Joe stared at the entrance to the cable car lift, his eyes hidden behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses. He and Vanessa had seen Carper and Ross arrive with a small entourage, including Callie. She had furtively searched the crowd, apparently hoping to see a familiar face. She had looked so lost and alone that Joe wanted to signal her somehow, to let her know they were there, but he couldn't take the chance. If Callie saw him, it was a sure bet Carper and Ross would also and the whole operation would be blown.

Callie, Carper and Ross immediately took a cable car to the top of the outlook while the rest of the group had gone directly into the restaurant. Soon after, Frank arrived and made his way to the top of the outlook; moments later Carper had emerged from the lift and disappeared into the restaurant. That had been a good twenty minutes earlier and Joe was growing restless. What was taking so long? He hated this aspect of investigative work almost as much as the paperwork.

"Something's wrong," he finally blurted out. Standing next to Vanessa just outside the restaurant, he watched the people walking by. The passing crowds gave them enough cover not to be noticed yet afforded them a clear view of the cable cars.

Vanessa shifted slightly to get a better view. "Did you see something?"

"No, but something's wrong…I can feel it." The words had barely left Joe's mouth when they saw Ross emerge from the exit, looking very nervous and in a big hurry. A movement to his left caught Joe's eye as he saw two Network agents closing in, confirming his never-fail gut instinct. He wasn't sure what had happened, but it was obvious something had gone wrong.

Apparently, Ross had seen the agents too, as he suddenly began shoving people aside and broke into a dead run. The second an opening appeared he took off for the woods on the opposite side of parking lot.

"Stay here!" Joe called to Vanessa over his shoulder, already in pursuit of the fleeing Ross. "I hate it when I'm right," he muttered to himself as he easily dodged the surprised patrons. Taking a chance he glanced backwards, hoping the two agents he'd seen wouldn't be far behind, but luck wasn't on his side. They had become tangled up in a mass of people who were gawking at the fleeing Ross and Joe. Joe was on his own.

Surprised at the speed Ross possessed, Joe realized the man would be well hidden among the trees by the time Joe made it to the edge of the woods. Without breaking stride, Joe veered to the right, running straight for the rented snowmobile. Jumping on, it took him only seconds to start the engine and turn the machine around. Crouching down, Joe gunned the motor and couldn't help but smile as the powerful machine lurched forward, making a beeline for the trees. Now this was his favorite part of the job – the pursuit, the chase, the _capture_!

Within seconds, Joe was weaving in and out of the heavily wooded area following Ross' jumbled footprints in the snow. His world suddenly became a psychedelic blur of green, brown and white as he careened through the woods at top speed, shifting his weight effortlessly all the while flirting with disaster. One miscalculation could send him crashing through the snow into any one of the massive immovable objects that surrounded him.

Aware of the danger, Joe was still focused on one goal – Ross. He was in what Frank jokingly referred to as 'The Zone' – a place where Joe Hardy's legendary stubbornness became his biggest asset. With a single-minded determination that bordered on obsessive, Joe would not stop until his quarry had been captured.

Joe kept his eyes glued to the fleeing Ross. The wind whipped through his blonde hair as bits of snow flew up in the wake of the snowmobile, melting seconds after they made contact with his skin. Low-hanging branches snapped dangerously close to his face, one of them slashing across his cheek so hard he knew it would leave a welt. Another branch slammed his upper arm as he whizzed by, causing Joe to momentarily lose control of the speeding snowmobile, sending him on a collision course with an imposing evergreen.

Taking his eyes off Ross for a second, Joe eased off the throttle and slowed enough to regain control before pouring on the speed once more. He quickly caught sight of Ross again who had obviously heard the snowmobile gaining on him. Ross began weaving in and out among the trees, taking the narrowest path he could find, attempting to make Joe's task that much more difficult. Joe swore under his breath, as the trees seemed to get closer and closer together, closing in on him. If he slowed down enough to avoid crashing into them, Ross would easily get away.

'_Come on, help me out here! Slip…fall…something!'_ Joe thought as Ross suddenly veered to the right.

Yanking the handlebars, Joe instinctively leaned to the right, gasping in surprise at a large tree trunk that seemed to come out of nowhere. He throttled down a bit and caught his breath at the narrowly avoided collision before setting his sights on Ross. Just when Joe was certain Ross was going to win this round, he emerged into a clearing. A wide expanse of snow lay before him.

'_YES!'_ Joe exulted, knowing he now had the upper hand. Already Ross was stumbling in the snow and with no trees getting in his way Joe was able to make up for lost time. Pouring on the speed, Joe rapidly closed the gap between them. Drawing even with Ross, Joe mentally crossed his fingers and leapt from the still speeding machine, landing squarely on Ross' back.

Momentum carried them forward as they toppled over and rolled in the snow several times. Joe winced as the hard landing sent ripples of pain through his already bruised body, becoming somewhat mollified when they came to a stop with him on top. Using the element of surprise to his advantage Joe got off several punches, leaving Ross slightly dazed. He lay staring up at Joe, his arms splayed out in the snow.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Joe taunted him. Ross' eyes turned dark with anger, but Joe didn't let up. "What's the matter? Can't fight if your opponent isn't tied up?"

Joe caught the movement just a second too late. Before he could react, Ross' right arm came up, flinging a large handful of snow in Joe's face. Temporarily blinded, Joe quickly raised his hands in a dual attempt to protect himself and rub the stinging snow from his now watering eyes.

Joe suddenly felt himself being flung to the ground like a rag doll, hissing at yet another insult to his injured midsection. _'This is getting so old!'_

Rolling onto his side, he used one hand to cradle his sore stomach and the other to push himself up to his knees. Taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Joe heard a noise that sent shivers down his spine. The snowmobile, which had sputtered to a stop after he'd jumped off, had suddenly roared to life. Blinking rapidly, Joe rubbed his eyes trying to get rid of the last remnants of snow and ice. Hearing the sound growing louder, he looked up. Through blurred vision, Joe made out the figure of Ross hunched over the handlebars of the snowmobile which was now heading straight for him at top speed.


	24. Chapter 24

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 24

Frank Hardy was shocked at how much a person's perception could change in such a short time. Two days earlier, he'd thought the gaping valley below was simply breathtaking; today he thought it would take his breath away permanently. Frank felt himself slip another inch and heard a whimper from above. Looking up, he saw his wife's deep brown eyes staring back at him.

"Callie, _please_ – let me go!" Frank begged. She was finally safe; the last thing he wanted was for her to die in a futile effort to save him.

"No," Callie replied through gritted teeth. As the two of them slipped another half an inch, a tear slipped from her eye and slid down her cheek, splashing onto Frank's upturned face.

Frank closed his eyes, resigning himself to their fate. He heard Callie choke back a sob and grip his arm tighter, despite knowing it was useless. He wondered how long he'd be in free fall before hitting bottom and quickly pushed the thought from his mind. Slipping a little further, Frank silently said goodbye to his parents, his aunt and Joe.

'_Joe_…'

Frank squeezed his eyes shut as rapid-fire memories of life with his younger brother flashed through his mind. Regretting that he never got to say goodbye, Frank took a little solace in knowing Joe wouldn't rest until Carper, Ross and their cohorts were brought to justice for his and Callie's murders. He felt himself move another inch and realized something was different – he was moving _up_, not down!

Raising his head, Frank saw Arthur Gray holding Callie tightly around the waist, anchoring her in place. Seconds later, two Network agents appeared above the rail. Reaching down they latched onto Frank's arms. Slowly they pulled him up, inch by nerve-wracking inch, until he could grab the safety railing. Frank climbed over the rail with the help of Gray and the two agents. Once back on solid ground, he sank to his knees, giving serious thought to kissing the cold, hard and very _solid_ platform beneath him.

Callie threw herself on him, openly sobbing. Frank held her tightly, said a prayer of thanks and looked at Gray. "Ross?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gray smiled thinly. "I'm told Joe went after him."

Frank couldn't help but chuckle. "God help him," he said sarcastically.

oooOOOooo

Joe stared at the speeding snowmobile for barely a second before he was engulfed in a rush of anger. Wiping his eyes one last time, Joe ignored the aches and pains he'd amassed over the last day and a half. Staring at Ross, hunched over the handlebars of the snowmobile making a beeline straight for him, Joe's face showed grim determination – he would not be beaten by this man again.

Joe stood and faced the onrushing Ross, waiting patiently. As the snowmobile grew closer, Joe bent his knees a little and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. He never took his eyes off Ross, knowing he had to time this perfectly. Joe wished he could see Ross' eyes, wondering what the big man was thinking about this strange game of chicken Joe had started.

Feeling the familiar rush of excitement as the snowmobile bore down on him, Joe cautioned himself. _'Wait…wait… a few more seconds… __NOW__!'_

Joe pushed off and launched himself forward, catching a stunned Ross around the neck with his forearm. He let out a grunt of pain as they landed heavily in the snow, tangled together, rolling several times. When they came to a stop, Ross lay dazed on the ground, but Joe wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation. Running on sheer adrenaline, Joe grabbed Ross by the arm and flipped him onto his stomach. Straddling his back, Joe pulled Ross' arms up behind his back, grinning when he heard a painful gasp.

"Awww, what's the matter? You can dish it out but you can't take it?" Joe taunted him.

Ross turned his head to one side and glared at Joe. "Punk!" he spat out.

"Yeah, well this _punk_ just came out on top!" Joe replied acidly. Shoving Ross' face into the snow, he felt somewhat vindicated for the beating he taken the day before.

A moment later, Joe heard voices floating out from the tree line. Turning his head, he saw Arthur Gray walking towards him, accompanied by two local police officers and Vanessa.

"Look," Joe said sarcastically, grabbing Ross' hair and pulling his head up. "The welcome wagon has just arrived."

Ignoring Ross' colorful reply, Joe held him securely in place, making sure he got one more faceful of snow before the two police officers knelt down beside him and snapped handcuffs on the man. Grinning in triumph, Joe stood and pumped a triumphant fist in the air just as Vanessa ran up and threw her arms around him, almost knocking him back to the ground. He held her tightly, a smile glued to his face, as Ross was hauled to his feet and led away, glaring at Joe once final time.

"Frank and Callie?" Joe asked, his voice muffled against Vanessa's shoulder.

"They're okay," she replied, pulling back enough to look him in the eyes. "How about you?"

Joe grinned, still feeling the rush from his triumph over Ross. "I'm great." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arthur Gray approaching; however Vanessa swiftly recaptured his attention.

"You sure are," she agreed.

Joe felt her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him toward her and then she kissed him, long and hard.

…

As he walked towards Joe and Vanessa, Arthur Gray nodded to the two police officers who were leading a sullen looking Ross back through the woods. When he had told Frank he and the officers were going to look for Joe and Ross, Vanessa Bender had been relentless. The young woman had badgered him mercilessly, much to Frank's amusement, and finally announced that if he refused to let her come along she would simply follow behind him. Knowing defeat when he saw it, Gray had frowned in disgust and given in to her request while at the same time admiring her tenacity.

'_And all these years I thought Joe was stubborn. He's got nothing on her!' _As another thought struck him, Gray found himself chuckling out loud. _'I think Joe Hardy has finally met his match!'_

Stopping a few feet from the couple, he was about to ask Joe exactly what had happened when Vanessa grabbed the younger Hardy and kissed him. Flushing slightly, Gray looked away for a few seconds and then looked back, obviously not having given them enough time. Abruptly turning away, he glanced at the snowmobile and then up at the late afternoon sun before glancing at his watch.

'_Okay, plenty of time,'_ he thought, satisfied and looked up at Joe and Vanessa. His eyes widened involuntarily and he half turned away. Looking down at the snow, he studied the jumble of footprints for a moment then took great pains to examine his fingernails before checking his watch for the second time. _'Almost a full minute…'_

Cautiously he turned back and felt his mouth gape open slightly. _'How long can they keep that up? Don't they need air?'_

Clearing his throat, Gray expected Joe and Vanessa to jump apart, embarrassed to find they'd momentarily forgotten he was there. He was sorely disappointed. Waiting a few seconds he did it again, following it up with a very loud cough. He narrowed his eyes, both awed and annoyed. Joe and Vanessa were oblivious to him.

"Excuse me!" He had deliberately raised his voice but got no acknowledgement whatsoever. "Fine," he said icily. "I'll go back to the restaurant and wait for you there." Ignored once more, he threw his hands up in defeat. "Unbelievable…" Turning, he trudged back across the clearing and disappeared into the woods.

…

Reluctantly, Vanessa pulled away from Joe a fraction of an inch, breathless. "Did you hear something?"

"Uh-uh." Joe quickly pulled her back and silenced her with another kiss.


	25. Chapter 25

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 25

Frank and Callie sat in front of the fireplace in the lobby of the restaurant, Frank's arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. He felt an overpowering need to maintain constant physical contact with Callie and wouldn't consider letting her out of his sight for even a second. Callie seemed to share those feelings as she had glued herself to Frank's side from the moment they were reunited.

After being pulled to safety by Arthur Gray and his agents, Frank and Callie had taken a few moments to collect themselves before taking a cable car down the mountain. A highly excited Vanessa met them at the bottom and told them of Joe's snowmobile pursuit of Ross. Frank smiled, thinking of the very brief standoff between Vanessa and Gray, who was about to take a few local officers and go in search of Joe and Ross. Vanessa was adamant that she would accompany the group. While Frank knew the Gray Man would openly balk at Vanessa's request, insisting it was "out of the question", he also knew this was a battle Arthur Gray couldn't possibly win.

Exchanging an amused look with Callie, Frank had settled back and watched the fireworks, silently predicting they would come to a swift end with Vanessa emerging as the winner. Sure enough, less than thirty seconds later, Vanessa was leading the little search party across the snowy field towards the woods, animatedly urging them to _'Hurry up!'_

Frank glanced at his watch and sighed; that had been over twenty minutes ago. He peered out the window that opened onto the snow-covered field and frowned.

"I'm sure they're fine," Callie said, snuggling a little closer. "If anything was wrong they would have called for help by now."

Frank turned to her with a startled smile – she was absolutely right. "Thanks," he murmured, kissing the top of her head. Relaxing a little, Frank turned his attention to the parking lot and the police van parked discreetly in a corner. After being questioned briefly by Network agents, Bradford Grayson and his minions had been escorted to the van where they were apparently waiting for Ross' arrival before leaving for the county jail.

The interrogation had revealed that Frank and Callie really were to be freed once Grayson was satisfied the program was authentic. Every one of his men had insisted that was the plan – a direct order from Grayson. Apparently, when Ross realized it had all been a set-up, he simply wanted a distraction to buy him enough time to board a cable car and get away from the authorities. Frank's near-fatal fall over the rail had been purely accidental. And that bothered Frank a great deal.

Together, he and Callie could identify everyone involved in this botched operation and provide more than enough evidence to get them convicted on any number of charges. Why would Bradford Grayson simply let them walk away?

Callie sat up and nudged Frank, temporarily pushing his troubling thoughts aside. "Look!"

Following her gaze, he looked out the window and saw two police officers approaching the restaurant escorting a decidedly unhappy Ross between them. A few yards behind them was Arthur Gray, looking almost as unhappy as Ross. Moments later he entered the restaurant, headed for the lobby and immediately began pacing. He stopped to glance out the window, tapping his foot in annoyance.

"Where are Joe and Vanessa?" Frank asked.

Gray huffed, checking his watch for the umpteenth time. "Probably frozen together at the lips by now."

Callie couldn't help but laugh softly at the usually unassuming, fade-into-the-background Network agent's considerably ruffled demeanor. Frank winked at her and indulged in a little good-natured teasing.

"I don't know, Gray, you sound a little jealous. When was the last time you went on a date?"

Ignoring Callie's outright laughter, Gray shot him a withering look and was about to reply when he was stopped by the sound of an approaching snowmobile. He threw up his hands and looked skyward. "Finally! Can you keep them apart long enough for me to get a statement from Joe?" Gray asked Frank sarcastically.

"I doubt it," Frank grinned, tormenting the Network agent a little more.

Gray narrowed his eyes at the elder Hardy and glared.

The serene atmosphere was all but shattered as Joe and Vanessa burst into the restaurant and made a beeline for the lobby. Scooping Callie up in his arms, Joe twirled her around several times eliciting quite a few amused looks from other patrons.

"Hey, Sis, glad to have you back!" he cried out enthusiastically. Finally setting Callie back on her feet, he kissed her cheek and then released her. Leaning down he punched Frank on the arm. "Another win for the good guys, bro!"

Turning his attention on Gray, who was looking both perturbed and mortified, Joe elbowed him in the ribs. "Just like old times, huh?"

"If you mean the way you and your brother would barge into Network operations with total disregard for protocol and planning, create utter chaos and throw yourselves into danger at the drop of a hat, then yes, it is just like old times," Gray answered acidly. "And I'd just as soon _not_ do it again," he finished, scowling at Joe for good measure.

Standing so close to Vanessa, Joe felt her tense up. _'You just crossed the line.'_ Crossing his arms over his chest, Joe smiled and nudged his brother. "I've been waiting all day for this." Settling back as if he were about to witness his favorite sporting event, Joe watched his fiancée let loose on the Network's most feared and powerful agent.

"That's it; I've had enough," Vanessa said her voice low and her eyes shooting fire. Straightening up, she used her five-feet-eleven-inches to its fullest advantage. Although Arthur Gray was only slightly shorter than she was, Vanessa appeared to be towering over him.

Sensing he had just made a grave error, the agent instinctively backed up a few steps, distancing himself from a very angry Vanessa.

"I don't care what kind of James Bond, top-secret agent clone you're supposed to be, you need a serious attitude adjustment!" Vanessa began, jabbing at him with a finger. "Let me refresh your memory about a few things. First of all, it was one of _your_ trusted government employees who stole the greatest discovery in military history right out from under your noses. Before you can even pick up her trail, she agrees to sell it to not one, but _two_ different terrorist groups _and_ makes arrangements to meet with both of them. When things don't go as planned, she needs somewhere to stash the plans for a few days and decides Frank's laptop would make a pretty good hiding place."

As she spoke, Vanessa had continued walking towards the Gray Man, waving her hands and gesturing wildly. Gray was backpedaling just as quickly, taken aback by the verbal assault. Accustomed to being ignored or feared, he had no idea how to react to the irate young woman in front of him.

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are that they just happened to be here this week?" Vanessa demanded, waving in the general direction of Frank and Joe. "What if they hadn't been and she slipped that file onto someone else's computer? Would anyone else have been able to survive being kidnapped, beaten and left to die in a burning cabin in the middle of nowhere? Would anyone else have had the presence of mind to bluff their way out of turning over the file? NO!"

When Vanessa stopped to take a breath, Gray saw his chance. Standing a little taller, he tried to mount a defense. Before he could get one word out, Vanessa glared at him. "Don't even _think_ of interrupting me."

Joe beamed._ 'That's my girl!'_

Vanessa had captured Frank and Callie's undivided attention as she continued her tirade, forcing Gray to acknowledge that had the plans fallen into the hands of anyone other than Frank and Joe, it most likely would have resulted in a tragic national scandal.

"Thanks to them," Vanessa pointed at the brothers, "you avoided major humiliation. They were beaten, kidnapped and left to die. Callie was taken hostage and used as a bargaining chip. They came up with a plan to get her back _and_ keep your precious file safe! They took all the risks and _you'll_ get all the credit. Yet from the second you got here you've been nothing but rude and insulting and I am sick and tired of it! It's about time you started showing them the respect they deserve."

All eyes were now on Vanessa, but she kept her gaze fixed squarely on the Gray Man, staring daggers at him. Joe watched her and shivered, deciding never to do anything that would get her mad enough to result in his being on the receiving end of what he had just witnessed.

Arthur Gray stared at Vanessa, more stunned than anything else at her outburst of rage. All those who knew his true identity generally gave him a wide berth. Whether it was out of respect or fear he wasn't sure, but he'd grown used to the invisible shield his reputation had created. A shield Vanessa Bender had no qualms about breaching.

"Well?" Vanessa demanded angrily. Hands on her hips and fire in her eyes, she obviously expected a response; and Gray assumed she would settle for nothing less than contrition and an apology.

He straightened up to his full height, painfully aware that Vanessa still stood a good two inches taller than him. With his back against the wall – literally – the Network's most powerful agent found himself cornered and understood there was only one way out of this. Clearing his throat, Gray looked directly at Vanessa as he spoke.

"Ms. Bender, your point of view has certainly given me a new perspective to consider," he began smoothly.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Oh, please." Shifting position, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Arthur Gray.

"You are absolutely right. The Hardys' assistance in this case was invaluable, as it has been in the past. And as always, it was deeply appreciated," he finished, hoping she'd be pacified by his rather vague admission.

Vanessa huffed loudly, tapping her toe in annoyance at the lame excuse for an apology. "In other words, you're saying you couldn't have solved this case without them and you'd like to personally thank them for their help?" She rephrased his statement and waited expectantly, not about to let him off so easily.

He nodded deferentially. "Yes, that is another way of putting it."

In his quest to eradicate terrorism, Gray had used methods that were often questionable and at times illegal, further enhancing his reputation. It was a reputation he'd nurtured and cultivated, watching it grow to mythical proportions. Certain heads of state, foreign leaders and even some terrorists lived in fear of crossing him. Secretly glad that Vanessa wasn't backing down, Gray bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. _'Apparently Ms. Bender isn't quite that impressed with me,'_ he thought, with a newfound respect.

"Well, they're standing right here." Vanessa stepped aside and made a sweeping gesture towards Frank and Joe. "There's no time like the present," she said, challengingly.

Gray swallowed what little pride Vanessa had left him with, finding it oddly refreshing that she wasn't at all intimidated by him or his reputation. Squaring his shoulders, he strode forward, coming to a stop in front of the brothers.

"On behalf of our government I would like to express my gratitude to both of you for your assistance in this matter. Without your help, the greatest breakthrough in military history would have fallen into the hands of terrorists." Gray extended his hand to a stunned Frank.

Speechless, Frank shook his hand and then watched as Gray turned to Joe.

"Thank you, Joe," he said to the equally stunned younger Hardy. "And I apologize for any inappropriate comments I may have made to you."

"Mrs. Hardy," Gray continued, now focused on Callie, "I am very sorry you were dragged into this. And I'm equally impressed with your ability to remain calm in a terrifying situation. Thank you." Finally, Gray addressed Vanessa, who had now returned to Joe's side.

"Ms. Bender, your willingness to speak out has given me the opportunity to consider certain events – past and present – from a different perspective." He let just the hint of a smile slip through. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Vanessa replied with a satisfied smile. "I'm always happy to open your eyes to a new point of view."

Arthur Gray was about to ask Joe for a detailed statement of his pursuit and capture of Ross when a series of thoughts he was totally unprepared for barreled into his consciousness like a freight train.

'_Vanessa____was the one who came up with the plan to use a fake disc. It was __her__ idea to blackmail me to ensure my cooperation. __She__ created the new program – a fake that was so good even __I__ couldn't tell the difference. And she's ruthless in her defense of Joe, especially if she thinks he's been unfairly attacked.' _Gray smiled as it now clicked why his opinion of Vanessa had completely turned around in one afternoon. '_She's smart, devious, uniquely talented and fiercely protective of what she loves and believes in… and she's not the least bit intimidated by me.' _

Gray suddenly realized that Vanessa Bender possessed all the qualities that he looked for in his best Network agents. He toyed with the idea of voicing those thoughts aloud as his gaze flickered to Joe for barely a second. Picturing what the younger Hardy's reaction might be should he announce this sudden revelation, Gray smiled at the image that appeared in his mind and thought it best to keep his opinions to himself.

Assuming his normal, blend into the background persona, he turned to Joe. "I can take your statement right here instead of making you go down to the police station. Then you and your fiancée can get back to enjoying your vacation."

"Sounds good to me!" Joe agreed, his mind already wandering to thoughts of himself, Vanessa and a hot tub.

As the others listened, Joe gave a blow-by-blow description of his wild snowmobile ride through the woods, his first thwarted attempt to subdue Ross and his final and ultimately successful capture. When he concluded the colorful and entertaining recap, Joe could feel a pair of eyes boring into him. He turned and saw Frank staring at him in utter amazement.

"You willingly jumped off a speeding snowmobile?" Frank finally asked.

Joe shrugged casually as if to say _'Doesn't everyone?'_

"And when Ross tried to run you down with the same speeding snowmobile, it never occurred to you to get out of the way? Instead, you stood there and _waited_ for him to run you over, hoping you could jump back _on_ and knock him off?" Frank continued. Despite the knowledge that nothing Joe did should surprise him anymore, Frank couldn't help but be astounded.

"Yeah," Joe replied defensively. "Wouldn't you?"

"_NO_!" Frank yelled, exasperated. "I wouldn't!" Slowly he shook his head, wondering if he'd ever understand the way his brother's mind worked. "What if your timing had been off or you misjudged the distance? You'd be dead now!"

"It wasn't, I didn't and I'm not."

Frank stared at his brother a moment longer and then looked at Callie, Gray and Vanessa in confusion. "How is it possible we share the same DNA?"

"You're just jealous because I have a better story to tell than you do," Joe challenged him.

Frank shook his head, bewildered, but as he looked at Joe, his dark eyes gleamed with mischief. "Maybe, but Callie's story trumps both of ours," he announced proudly.

A slow grin spread across Joe's face as he nodded in agreement. "You're right about that. And holding your considerable dead weight is definitely something to brag about," he continued teasing Frank and then turned to Callie. "Way to go, Sis." Joe punched her lightly on the arm and then leaned forward squeezing her bicep appreciatively. Unaccustomed to being the center of attention, Callie squirmed out of Joe's grasp and flushed with embarrassment.

"If you're up to it, you can give your statement now, too, rather than dragging you down to the station," Gray offered to Callie. "I'm sure you'd like to get back to your cabin as soon as possible."

"Thank you, I'd rather get it over with now." Callie accepted the offer gratefully, while Frank smiled his thanks.

"We will need you to come in tomorrow and identify those you saw while you were being held captive. If we find we need clarification on anything in your statement, we can get it then."

"Hey, does this mean you're done with me?" Joe asked, hopefully.

"Yes," Gray confirmed. "I think you've covered everything and then some."

Joe turned to Vanessa with a look in his eyes that she knew all too well. "If we hurry, we can get back to the cabin and have some _private_ time before Frank and Callie get there," he suggested, raising his eyebrows hopefully.

"What are we waiting for," Vanessa replied with a wicked smile. She grabbed Joe's hand and pulled him towards the door. "Lets go!"

As Joe let himself be dragged away, he turned towards his brother calling out, "Hey, Frank! Do me a favor… DRIVE SLOW!"

"Really, really slow!" Vanessa added, her laughter echoing around them.

Shaking his head at the younger couple, Frank took his wife's hand as she began to give her statement. As he listened, the thought that had been nagging at him earlier returned even stronger. _Why_ were he and Callie going to be allowed to simply walk away?

'_They're professionals. Why would they leave witnesses who could identify them?'_ he mused, deciding to run it by Gray when he was done questioning Callie.

He had barely refocused on the question and answer session when a Network agent approached them, waiting silently to be acknowledged. Once Gray had given a nod of approval, the man addressed Frank. "He asked to speak with you."

Frank twisted in his seat, looking out the window in the direction indicated. Seeing Tom Carper staring at him from the backseat of a patrol car, he frowned. "What does he want?"

The agent shrugged. "Don't know. Said he'd only talk to you."

"Be right back." Frank squeezed Callie's hand and stood up. Following the agent outside, he walked to the car and looked at Carper warily. Saying nothing, he stood, waiting for the criminal to speak.

"Your wife never doubted you for a minute," the man said, a trace of envy in his voice. "She was absolutely certain you'd get her out of this somehow. Her devotion and belief in you was impressive." He stopped, waiting to see if Frank would respond, but got nothing but a stony silence. "Look I grew to like her and respect her a lot. I don't want to see anything happen to her. She doesn't deserve it."

"What are you talking about?" Frank snapped, as a knot began to form in his stomach.

Carper stared at Frank intently. "Did you really think we'd just let you walk away? The door to your cabin is wired with a bomb. It'll blow the second someone tries to open it. Whoever touches that knob will be incinerated. The only thing left will be a giant hole in the ground."

Frank turned and sprinted for the car at top speed as the knot in his stomach exploded.

'_JOE!'_


	26. Chapter 26

Sleight of Hand

Chapter 26

_"DRIVE SLOW!" _

_"Really, really slow."_

The comments that only moments earlier were said and received with light hearted laughter reverberated in Frank's head, sounding like a death sentence. Spurred on by the chill that ran through him, Frank pressed the gas pedal to the floor. Taking a sharp turn he didn't let up, thinking that right now time was his worst enemy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Callie throw out a hand to brace herself on the dashboard.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"They only left a few minutes before we did. We'll get there in time," Callie tried to reassure him.

"Joe wanted some time alone with Vanessa. He can cut through the woods on that snowmobile. There's no speed limit for him to worry about. There's no way we'll get there before them," Frank countered grimly.

'_Why is this happening? Why __now__?'_ Frank thought angrily. With Vanessa's final HIV test coming back negative, she and Joe no longer had that ominous threat hanging over their heads. _'They have everything to live for! This isn't fair!'_

Frank felt the sting of tears as the lead weight in his stomach told him no matter how fast he drove, he'd never make it in time. His nerves were already shot as he kept expecting to hear a massive explosion with each second that ticked by. He felt as if the silence were mocking him, waiting for him to let his guard down, waiting until he truly believed he had a chance of saving his brother before his hopes would be obliterated in a thunderous roar.

'_So you think you can beat me?'_ the voice in his head ridiculed him. _'You think you can beat Father Time?'_

Memories of a giant fireball exploding into the sky tore at his heart. Frank often wondered how Joe was able to survive losing someone he loved so deeply without losing his sanity; how he was able to pick up the pieces of his life and go on without Iola. Especially since the bomb that had killed her was really meant for him. Frank shivered; he couldn't stop thinking of the parallels – the bomb in the cabin that Joe might detonate any second was meant for Frank and Callie. Would they ever learn how to live with the fact that Joe and Vanessa were killed in an explosion meant for them? Impossible. Knowing Joe and Vanessa died in their places would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Callie's voice thankfully broke into his thoughts. "We're almost there. Less than a minute." Frank felt her hand on his leg, trying to offer him hope. "We'll make it, Frank."

Slowing for a split second, Frank made the left turn onto the isolated road that led to their cabin and then pushed the speedometer to the limit, the tall pines on either side of the car rushing by in a blur. He allowed himself one brief moment of hope as he heard sirens in the distance behind him. The local authorities had called in the bomb squad, banking on the fact that Frank would catch Joe and Vanessa before the bomb was detonated. Glancing above the tree line, he took a small measure of comfort at the sight of a clear blue sky, unmarred by smoke or flames.

'_Maybe they aren't here yet. Maybe they had trouble with the snowmobile. Maybe they just couldn't keep their hands off each other…'_ He prayed the young couple had pulled over along the way to indulge in a little romantic prelude.

As the clearing came into view, Frank saw the cabin in tact with the snowmobile parked haphazardly in front of it.

"There they are!" Callie cried out in relief as she simultaneously pointed to the porch with one hand while squeezing Frank's leg with the other.

Joe and Vanessa were standing on the porch just inches from the front door, locked in a passionate kiss and completely oblivious to their surroundings. Frank slammed on the brakes, the car fishtailing in the snow. He opened the door and bolted from the vehicle, running as if his life depended on it – Joe's and Vanessa's did.

'_Don't stop!'_ he thought watching the two, noting the irony. Normally his brother's enthusiastic displays of affection for Vanessa left him flushing with embarrassment. And since Joe assumed he and Vanessa were alone, he wasn't holding back.

Frank could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his feet flying through the snow, his arms pumping furiously. _'Faster!'_ his brain ordered. _'Come on, just a little further… NOOOOO!'_

Frank's pounding heart suddenly tightened in his chest as he watched Joe finally release Vanessa and turn towards the door.

'_No, no, no, no, no!'_ Joe's hand was just about to make contact with the doorknob when Frank took a deep breath and yelled for all he was worth.

"_JOE_!" Frank's voice was all but drowned out by the blaring of a car horn. He watched both Joe and Vanessa jump, literally, at the unexpected noise and silently thanked his wife for the life-saving distraction.

With a surge of adrenaline, Frank put on a final burst of speed covering the last few yards in what he knew had to be record-setting time. Vaulting the three steps leading up to the porch, he ducked his head and tackled Joe and Vanessa sending all of them flying through the air. Frank's momentum carried them forward several feet where they landed with a loud, bone-jarring thud on the hard wooden floor of the porch.

Frank looked up to see Vanessa sandwiched between himself and Joe, who was on the bottom and took the brunt of the blow, cushioning both him and Vanessa. He silently apologized to his younger brother for the latest assault and then wasted no time in getting to his feet, pulling Vanessa up with him. Despite Carper's assurance that the bomb could only be detonated when someone touched the door, Frank still wanted them as far away from the explosive device as possible.

Looking down at Joe, who appeared to be dazed from the force of the landing, Frank quickly filled Vanessa in and enlisted her help in getting Joe on his feet.

…

Joe very reluctantly released his fiancée and gazed at her for a moment before turning towards the door. He hoped the authorities would have an endless list of questions for Callie giving him and Vanessa plenty of time to continue with the celebration they had started the day before.

Flushed and breathless, Vanessa stared into his eyes, pressing herself against him. "Open the door already," she said huskily.

Her words sent his heart plummeting to his feet in spine-tingling anticipation. Joe reached for the doorknob predicting he would spend the rest of the day locked in the bedroom with Vanessa. He was sure Frank and Callie wouldn't even notice their absence since they had some serious celebrating to do themselves.

With his fingers only centimeters away from the doorknob, Joe's thoughts of a romantic evening were annihilated by the sound of a car horn booming through the peaceful valley. Nearly jumping out of his skin, Joe had no time to process where the noise was coming from as he suddenly felt himself being propelled through the air. He grasped that he was airborne for several seconds before being slammed to the floor. The sudden and extremely painful impact knocked the wind out of him and left him dazed. As he lay on the cold wooden boards, Joe felt a crushing weight pressing down on him, which was immediately followed by a painful jab to his ribs.

'_Can't…breathe!' _Dazed, Joe was at a complete loss as to what had just happened. He frantically attempted to push off whatever was on top of him, vaguely wondering if Vanessa were in danger.

The weight suddenly lifted and a voice yelled. "Come on, Joe! MOVE!" It sounded like Frank, but Joe couldn't figure out what his brother would be doing at the cabin or why he would be so angry.

Concentrating, he decided the voice definitely belonged to Frank who was now talking excitedly to Vanessa, although Joe couldn't catch the words through his haze of confusion. He heard Vanessa gasp and then more talking.

'_Are they talking to me? What's going on? Why is Frank so mad?'_

Joe couldn't dwell on those thoughts as hands suddenly grabbed him and roughly yanked him to a standing position. The abrupt movement sent a new jolt of pain through his still very sore midsection. As the arms pulled him forward, Joe's back screamed in protest at an apparently new injury received from the hard contact with the porch.

"MOVE IT!" Frank's voice echoed around him, as Joe was unceremoniously dragged off the porch.

'_Why is he yelling at me?'_

"Please, Joe, hurry!" Vanessa's voice was pleading with him. Why did she sound so scared?

'_What's going on?'_

Before Joe could protest, he was pulled forward and forced to run. Each step sent new ripples of pain through his aching body. Joe tried to slow down hoping it would ease the increasing discomfort, when he stumbled and fell to his knees. He was immediately hauled to his feet and propelled forward.

"OWWWWW!" Joe felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Being jerked upwards caused the muscles to cramp in a desperate signal for him to cease all movement. As his back began to throb incessantly, anger suddenly mixed with the pain - Joe had had enough. Digging in his heels, Joe pulled them to an abrupt halt and yanked his arms free. He waited for Frank and Vanessa to turn around and then glared at them angrily, oblivious to their matching looks of panic.

"WHAT THE HELL IS _WRONG_ WITH YOU TWO?" he bellowed, immediately regretting it. "OW! Ow, OW, OW! Ouch…that hurts," he moaned miserably. Sinking to his knees in the snow, Joe hunched over, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Joe, we can't stop! We're still too close… _come on_!" He felt Frank's hands on his arms again and roughly shoved his brother away, wincing at his body's instantaneous and sharply painful response to the movement

"Joe? Joe, are you okay?" Frank was breathing very heavily, his voice harsh and ragged. Joe thought it sounded more like panting.

'_Am I okay?'_ Joe thought incredulous, his anger reaching the point of no return. Infuriated, Joe tried to pull away from his brother, grimacing at the additional pain it caused.

"No, I'm not okay!" he yelled, suddenly wondering why Vanessa was so intent on helping Frank instead of him. Looking up, Joe graced his brother with a look that could kill. "Have you gone _crazy_?"

Joe saw the look in Frank's eyes slowly change. The concern and – was that fear? – gave way to a little bit of shock and a lot of rage. Frank towered over Joe, his shoulders still heaving from the exertion of the last thirty seconds.

"Maybe you'd prefer it if I let you _and Vanessa_ get blown to smithereens!" Frank roared as his runaway emotions got the best of him.

Joe flinched at the words but noted that Frank's hands were balled into fists and he was visibly shaking. The memory of a long ago explosion flashed in his mind. He couldn't believe Frank had made a reference to Vanessa meeting the same fate Iola had! That wasn't just mean – it was downright cruel.

Frank continued shouting, now waving his arms in the air. His eyes bored into Joe's with uncharacteristic bitterness. "I'm so sorry I interrupted your little rendezvous, but I thought you might actually like to make it back to Bayport _alive_! Forgive me for being so insensitive!"

Joe felt a chill as he listened to his brother rattle on, realizing Frank hadn't been intentionally cruel or mean – Frank Hardy wasn't capable of that. He was however scared – very scared – although Joe wasn't quite sure why. A delayed reaction to Callie's kidnapping maybe?

"You wanted some time alone with Vanessa so I knew you'd be coming back here at top speed," Frank gestured helplessly his voice no longer hostile. "I wasn't sure we'd get here in time to warn you."

"Warn us?" Joe repeated. "About what?"

Frank rambled on as if he hadn't heard Joe's question. "When I saw you guys standing on the porch, I was so relieved. But then you reached for the door and all I could think was…was…" Frank stopped speaking abruptly and stared at his brother a look of unbridled fear in his eyes. "What else was I supposed to do?" Frank asked quietly. "I thought you were going to die."

Joe stared, silent and utterly confused. "Why would you think that?"

"Didn't you hear me back there?" Frank waved an arm towards the porch.

Joe shook his head no.

"There's a bomb wired to the front door. If you had touched it the only thing left of the cabin, you and Vanessa would have been a big hole in the ground."

'_A bomb? In the cabin?' _

Joe felt the color drain from his face and was sure he was as white as the snow that surrounded him. Comprehension hit him like a freight train and he choked on the thought that Vanessa had come within seconds of meeting the same fate as Iola.

Squeezing his eyes shut at the fiery image that hadn't dulled over the years, Joe reached out blindly grabbing for Vanessa. Pulling her down to him, he held her as tightly as possible, knowing it was probably uncomfortable for her, but he couldn't let her go…not yet. She returned the embrace with just as much force. A moment later Joe felt her warm breath on his cheek as she spoke to him softly.

"If Frank hadn't reacted so quickly, we'd be dead. He saved our lives."

Joe opened his eyes and looked up at Frank trying to find words that wouldn't come to him. 'Thank you' was clearly inadequate. Frank dropped to his knees in front of Joe and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You never answered my question," he said quietly.

"Wh-what question?" Joe asked, his own voice sounding strangely foreign to him.

Frank gave him a hint of a smile. "Are you okay?"

Joe heard the little catch in Frank's voice and knew he had been visited by the image of the same long ago explosion Joe had. But in Frank's vision, it had been _Joe_ going up in flames. Suddenly Joe felt chastened and embarrassed at his angry outburst. And then he began to laugh. _'This could ONLY happen to us!'_

Shaking his head, still a bit bemused, Joe reviewed the events of the past twenty-four hours before answering his brother's query. "All things considered, I'm _very_ okay."

Frank chuckled and then turned to Vanessa. "How about you?"

"I'm fine thanks to you." She smiled gratefully as the sounds of sirens caught her attention.

"Bomb squad," Frank said pushing himself up.

Joe tried to follow suit and stopped, hissing in pain as new and old injuries alike reminded him of their presence. Frank's hand appeared in his line of vision and he gratefully let his brother pull him up. As he stood he threw a sidelong glance in Frank's direction. "Forget quarterback," the comment a vague reference to his brother's position on their high school football team. "You _should've_ gone out for tackle."

Frank chuckled, the sound mingling with Callie and Vanessa's outright laughter as they walked towards the car.

Joe gingerly settled into the backseat, with Vanessa quickly scrambling in next to him. As she gently took his hand, Joe closed his eyes and sighed to himself, savoring her undivided attention. _'Definitely worth the massive bruises I'll have tomorrow,'_ he thought, as her fingers ghosted over his forehead and through his hair.

Hearing Frank clear his throat, Joe opened one eye slightly and saw his brother leaning over the front seat, staring at him. "You know I have to ask," Frank said, a cryptic statement Joe seemed to understand completely.

Joe opened both eyes, for the sole purpose of rolling them at Frank. "No, you don't," he replied, balefully.

"Yeah, I do. It's my job as the big brother," Frank said quite seriously.

Joe groaned, adding another eye roll, but didn't miss the wink Frank threw at Vanessa and Callie.

"Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere? Do you need to see a doctor?" Frank interrogated him, smiling all the while. "Maybe we should take you to the E.R. just to be safe."

"No, no and most definitely…NO!" Joe responded loudly. _'Gotta remember not to yell,' _he thought, grimacing involuntarily at the muscle spasm in his abdomen.

"Are you sure, Babe?" Vanessa asked anxiously, shifting closer to him. "I mean you _did_ land on the bottom; Frank and I kinda flattened you like a pancake."

"Mmmm, pancakes. I'm hungry," Joe announced, attempting to change the subject. "I predict that with a good meal and round the clock attention from my private nurse…" he looked at Vanessa meaningfully, "…I'll be good as new in no time."

"Thanks for the warning," Frank cracked as Arthur Gray approached the car. He rolled down the window allowing the Network agent to lean in.

"You're both all right?" he asked bluntly, looking at Joe and Vanessa.

"Gee, it almost sounds like you care," Joe said sarcastically, knowing deep inside it was true.

"No, I'm just doing my job," Gray responded in kind, although his eyes showed genuine relief. "It would look bad on my record if a couple of civilians got hurt on my case."

"Of course; just so we're clear," Joe winked, shifting so he could put an arm around Vanessa.

"Why don't you all go to the lodge and warm up; get something to eat," Gray suggested. "Once the bomb squad has removed and detonated the bomb, we'll do a thorough search to make sure they didn't leave you any other surprises. I'll give you a call when we're done," he said, addressing Frank.

"Is dinner on the Network's tab?" Joe raised an eyebrow. "As a small token of their appreciation for our assistance in this matter?"

Gray huffed and rolled his eyes for show before finally conceding. "Fine, I'll call ahead and tell them to add it to my account. Now go before I change my mind." Straightening up, he turned and strode towards the small group of agents, police officers and bomb sniffing dogs restlessly waiting for the signal that it was safe to search the cabin.

oooOOOooo

Frank lay on the blanket spread on the floor in front of the fireplace, leaning against the cushions behind him. He gazed down at Callie who was smiling contentedly, her head resting on his chest. With only the soft glow from the fire to light the room, Frank thought his wife had never looked more beautiful.

After getting the all-clear call from Arthur Gray, the foursome had quickly returned to the cabin. After a hurried exchange of "good nights" with Joe and Vanessa, he and Callie locked themselves in their room, intent on shutting out the rest of the world for just one evening.

A slight jostling brought his attention back to Callie, who had propped herself up on one elbow and was staring at him, her lips curved up in a teasing smile. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his at the same time tugging him down on the blanket beside her. His last coherent thought was lost forever as Frank gave himself up to his wife's complete and undivided attention…

oooOOOooo

Joe emerged from the bathroom feeling decidedly better. Upon returning from the lodge, Vanessa suggested a dip in the hot tub might help soothe Joe's various aches and pains. They asked Frank and Callie to join them but were politely turned down as the older couple quickly disappeared into their bedroom. Joe and Vanessa had taken full advantage of the solitude, reluctantly getting out of the hot, bubbling water only when Vanessa pointed out they were starting to look like prunes.

Now back in their room, Joe eased himself onto the bed and sat back against the headboard. Wrapping his arms around Vanessa, Joe pulled her close to him silently admitting she had been right – the warmth of the hot tub had done wonders in relieving the tightness in his sore, aching muscles. He smiled as Vanessa leaned back against his chest and let out a soft sigh. Resting his chin on her shoulder, Joe looked at the paper she was holding in her hand.

"I don't know, Babe," he said seriously, looking over the list of favorite boys and girls names they had come up with while soaking in the hot tub. "According to this list, you're gonna have to have at least fifteen kids."

Vanessa burst out laughing, with Joe savoring every second of the sweet sound. "I guess that's one way of looking at it. Or we could just narrow down the list a little more to say, four names?"

"Six names," Joe immediately corrected her.

"I thought we were still in negotiations," she said slyly, peering at Joe over her shoulder.

Joe stared at her in mock horror. "You doubt my powers of persuasion?"

Vanessa erupted in another round of giggles at the look on Joe's face. As her laughter subsided, she stared up at Joe through lowered lashes. "Not at all," she replied seductively. "But I'm enjoying the negotiations way too much to give in just yet."

"Well then," Joe began huskily as he pulled the paper from her hand and tossed it on the floor. "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me."

Sliding down onto the bed, Joe pulled Vanessa along with him. As her muted laughter filled his ears, Joe realized the days of worrying if that beautiful sound would be silenced forever were over. They had lived through a year of hell and come out that much stronger, ready to begin a long and happy life together.

THE END


End file.
